The police came quickly. They flooded down the alleyway taking the lynx into custody as well as taking Nicks statement. They couldn't get Judy's due to the fact that she was still in shock.
Once the alley cleared out Nick carried the rabbit securely in his arms all the way back to the studio and immediately placed her into the limo which was there waiting for them. Once inside Nick set the rabbit down next to him, hoping that his presence would make her feel safer. The ride back was silent, only Clawhauser spoke asking if they were both okay which Nick answered with a silent nod. Judy was still shaking and zoned out entirely, she was definitely in shock and the drugs she was on certainly weren't helping her either. But throughout this whole time, despite all that had happened, she didn't cry. Not once.
Nick took advantage of the silent ride to think back on the situation that they had just gone through.
It was his fault, but at the same time Judy certainly did make some mistakes that could have been avoided had he told her the proper protocols. But in Nicks head he went through the whole thing frame by frame of how he could have handled the situation better.
'I could have had Judy closer to me'
'I should have made sure she was behind me then the lynx wouldn't have been able to get into the hostage situation'
'I am so fired'
All of this culminated into Nick being very nervous for what the future held for him. If he wasn't fired that meant that Judy appreciated him for saving her and wanted him to stick around. If he was fired he would be heading back to SafePaw and would need to find a new place to live.
The mood in the limo was desolate which also didn't help Nicks nerves. Clawhauser kept quiet and if you took a look at his face you would probably think that someone close to him had died. The rabbit had eventually comeback from her shock induced state and now was leaned up into the fox's side with her arms in her lap. Meanwhile Nick continued to think about everything,
'I have to seriously rethink what it means to be a bodyguard'
The lynx had said that he wanted Judy to himself, and he wouldn't let a fox take her away from him. It was a loaded statement, did the lynx mean that he wouldn't let Nick rescue her or did he think that he was in some sort of the relationship with the rabbit. Nick had no intentions of falling in love with a rabbit, let alone the one that was an absolute pain in his side the first day he had met her.
Nick took a mental step back and thought about how many mammals seemed to know him now. It was like he was famous, and for his whole life that was the opposite of what he wanted. Nick tried to remain in the shadow. 'Don't get caught', 'lie to protect the yourself', 'no one else matters but yourself'. None of that could work now, his face was a face that mammals saw and recognized, they knew what he did and who he worked with. That fact would make his job a lot more difficult, because now he wouldn't just have to worry about Judy, he would also have to watch his own back from paparazzi and anyone else who might not like a fox working for a rabbit. Or worse; mammals who just didn't like foxes in general.
The drive felt like it took hours when in reality it was just a few minutes, Nick was just so busy in his head that he didn't notice.
They traveled up the elevator in silence and all went to their separate rooms without uttering a word.
Nick shut the door behind him shrouding his world in darkness. He didn't feel like turning on the lights and instead chose to wait and allow his eyes to adjust. The apartment was just as he left it, all of his stuff was in boxes waiting to be unpacked in the center of the living room. But he was exhausted, it had been an extra long day for him and Nick could feel his eyelids wanting to shut. He walked into his room and stripped down to his underwear before hopping into bed. The blankets and pillows were already on it but Nick felt like sleeping on top of them, it wasn't hot, he just wanted to lie there without any warmth for a little bit to calm his nerves.
The bed was soft… very soft. Like almost too soft. He was used to his stiff as a board bed that caused him discomfort and almost pain when he slept on it. On this mattress though he was sinking into it like it was quicksand. He tossed and turned for about twenty minutes wanting only one thing, which was sleep, but his brain wouldn't let him have any, there was some voice whispering to him.
'Judy'
'Is she okay?'
'Some bodyguard, not even checking in on your client'
It was like his conscience was mocking him. And it sounded a lot like a certain rabbit.
'Great now she's in my head'
After many attempts he eventually gave up and rolled back out of bed, succumbing to his conscience. He went to the boxes in the living room and dug out whatever clothes he could find. He also checked the time which was being displayed on the microwave.
'2:23 am'
'Holy crap it's late' he thought to himself.
From the box's he pulled out a simple pair of Pawdidas sweat pants and a green t-shirt.
He quickly threw the clothes on before stepping out the door. The lights in the hallway blinded him for just a moment before his eyes quickly adjusted. He stood out in front of the rabbits, debating whether this was actually a good idea or not.
'She's probably asleep there is no point to this' he thought to himself. But against his better judgment he went ahead and knocked on the door.
Silence ensued as Nick strained his ears to hear any movement beyond the door.
Nothing.
See, a normal mammal would probably give up after one failed attempt, but considering what Nick now knew about Judy the silence unsettled him so he knocked one more time. He waited a few moments before placing his ear on the door to try and hear anything.
Suddenly the door opened. Nick, who was leaning on the door, was too exhausted to react in time and fell forward as his brace gave way. He was so tired that he didn't even care if he was going to get hurt. But he didn't get hurt, something soft broke his fall into the ground. His lack of care stopped when the soft object started to wriggle around, and also when it smelled like rabbit.
"Oh gosh Judy I'm sorry" Nick said quickly picking himself up off the rabbit. He didn't know what to expect next from the rabbit, whether she was going to yell at him or stay quiet like she had been in the green room earlier that night.
"It's okay" she said quietly.
'Well at least she's talking to me' Nick thought.
The fox reached out his paw, helping the rabbit to her feet. Once she was standing she dusted off her clothes.
She was wearing sky blue silk pajamas that looked extraordinarily comfortable, her body language told Nick that she was definitely tired, but her face was lost. The drugs she was on earlier had worn off and had been replaced by an extreme amount of exhaustion. She kept her eyes on the ground, but from what Nick could see she looked like she was about to crack.
"I'm sorry. I uh- I hope I didn't wake you up. I just wanted to check on you and be sure you were alright" he said awkwardly.
"I'm fine. I just need to get some sleep" She said reaching for the door.
Nick knew a lie when he saw one, he used to do it quite often, and clearly the rabbit was lying. She began to shut the door when Nick pushed his foot into it to keep it from closing.
"Hold on there Judy, can we talk?" Nick asked cutting straight to the point.
She didn't say anything, instead she just nodded and walked back into the apartment leaving Nick to follow, which he did. Pushing the door open again revealed Judy's whole apartment. It was the same layout as his but it felt more luxurious, all the provided furniture had been replaced with much more expensive looking stuff.
Judy had sat down on a very plush grey couch, still staring at the ground. Nick quietly took the seat next to her, processing in his mind what he was going to say.
"Listen Judy… I am sorry for what happened out there. A lot of that was my fault and I understand that, but I'm going to need you to work with me if we want to avoid anything like that ag-" He was cut off by the sound of sniffling as the rabbit began to cry, all the pressure of the night finally collapsing down on her. She covered her eyes with her paws to try and hide her tears, something that Nick payed attention to.
'She must not like crying' he thought to himself, 'but then again who does?'
Nick sat there for a moment, not really knowing what to do. Ever since the bathroom incident she hadn't even looked in his direction so he didn't exactly know what page he was on in the rabbits book. But right now it seemed like she needed some comfort so Nick offered it by opening his arms in the universal sign for a hug.
When the rabbit saw his open arms she leapt into them and hugged the fox tightly.
"It's alright Judy you're home, you're safe now" he whispered reassuringly.
They sat that way for a few moments before the rabbit pulled back, tears still dripping slowly from her eyes.
"Nothing like that has ever happened to me" she said looking into Nicks eyes for the first time in several hours, "that was just really scary for me".
"I get it, I really I do, I was scared to" Nick said honestly.
The rabbit looked at him confused, "you certainly didn't seem scared"
Nick smirked, "well trust me I was, I may not have shown it because of the fact that I am trained to stay relaxed in those situations", during training they went through simulations of different situations most of which were made up on the spot to keep the guard on their toe's, "I was scared for your safety, I was scared for what would've happened if he had gotten away. I also didn't want my first day working for you to end in a failure."
"So that's what makes you scared? Failure?" Judy asked wiping away any remaining tears.
"Well yeah, all mammals are working towards a goal. Everyones goal is different and constantly changing based on their situation. If you don't succeed in that goal then what is you purpose for life" Nick said honestly. This is how he thought about life, he didn't remember exactly where he got it from but it was how he chose to live.
Judy looked at him with wide eyes, clearly not expecting the fox to get philosophical so suddenly.
"Wow… so then what is your goal right now?" Judy asked curiously.
"Well as of yesterday morning, my goal is to keep you safe at all times. And I nearly failed" He said, "that being said, I hope that now you understand the importance of listening to it me at all times. If we had done it my way things probably could have gone better".
"Yes from now on we will do it your way" she said with a sigh.
'Good, at least I'm not getting fired yet' he thought to himself.
Nick clapped his paws together and stood up, "wonderful, starting tomorrow I will let you know how its going to work"
He had done what he wanted to do, she was okay, and now they were working his way. Now that he finally had closure on all that he was good to go to sleep.
"I'm going to head back across the hall, I will talk to you tomorrow morning. Good night" he said, heading towards the door.
"Nick wait" he heard the rabbit call out behind him. He turned around giving the rabbit his full attention.
"Considering all that you have said and seen of me. What do you think my goal is?" She asked.
Nick stared at the rabbit for a moment, trying to think about his answer.
'Did she want the truth or did she want what she wanted to hear' he thought to himself.
"Well the point of the goal is for each mammal to figure it out for themselves" Nick said honestly.
This answer seemed to deflate the rabbit as her face dropped in disappointment.
"But!" Nick added, hoping to raise her spirits a little, "I think what your goal could be is to inspire others. It's not everyday that a rabbit becomes a celebrity, and a lot of mammals look up to you. So make them see the good things. Have a good night Fluff" Nick said heading out the door before the rabbit could ask anything else.
Once he shut the door exhaustion rolled over him once again. The second he hit the bed, he was out. Sleep enveloped him like a warm blanket, he only hoped that it came to Judy as easily as it did for him.
The next morning his alarm went off at 6 am (he gave himself an extra hour considering how late he went to sleep), despite getting less than four hours of sleep, Nick felt extremely motivated. After he fell out of bed he quickly assembled his coffee maker and made himself a cup of the magical, caffeine filled liquid. He emptied out the rest of the boxes and set up the rest of his apartment and with all of his stuff in place the fancy apartment felt a little more like home. He even got around to figure out how to modify his guarding style to adapt for his newfound fame.
At 9 am he went on a run with the goal being to get to know the neighborhood that he lived in now. Need less to say, it felt a lot safer running here then it did at his old place. All the mammals he passed were wearing fancy clothes, heading to their jobs to make lots of money.
Nick did his best to move quickly so if any mammals recognized him they wouldn't realize until he was long gone. He knew this city like the back of his hand so whenever he knew there was an alleyway that he could trust he would take it. About two hours (and 18 miles) later he was back at The Lofts. His running attire, which consisted of shorts and a loose fitting tank top, were soaked in sweat due to the late spring heat outside.
Walking into the building he was met by the cool air conditioning as well as the panther sitting behind the front desk.
"Good morning Mr. Wilde" Manchas said with a smile.
"And good morning to you Mr. Manchas. Busy day today?" Nick asked causing the puma to laugh in response.
"No sir, I sit behind this desk for a majority of the day before going home to my family" the panther said.
"Wow… do you like your job Manchas?" Nick could only imagine that sitting behind a desk for so long could become rather boring.
"I do. I get to meet many amazing mammals who all have different backgrounds in life. Such as yourself, or Ms. Hopps, or even Mr. Clawhauser. But more importantly I'm supporting my wonderful wife and two little boys to help them be successful in the future", He said with pride on his face.
The thought of Manchas family caused Nick to reminisce the times with his own family.
"Alright I have to get going, you have a good morning" Nick said before heading to the elevator. He could feel his mind begin to race as he thought about his family. Images of police lights, the back of an ambulance, the beeping of heart monitors, and then nothing.
Once he was in the comfort of his apartment he took a seat on the couch and took a deep breath as more flashbacks came to him.
He could remember the look of his childhood home. How small and cheap it was, and the fact that he had to share a room with his brother.
'Isaac' Nick thought to himself. He hadn't seen his brother in years, ever since they had gone down different paths in life. He still loved his little brother with all his heart but he couldn't bear to see him make the same mistakes he did. The mistakes brought on by his father.
His father was the reason for most of his issues as well as being the reason for his brothers career choice. But there was no changing any of that now.
And finally there was his mother…
The mammal he cherished the most. She was the reason for his change of heart. The real reason that he was alive today…
'Nicky' a voice called out to him. It was a warm and loving voice. One that he cherished.
'Nicky no matter what happens I want you to know that I love you okay?'
"I love you too Mom" Nick opened his eyes realizing he had said that out loud, the sound of his mothers voice still echoing through his head. He looked around making sure that no one was in the apartment but him.
He felt a little bit of closure by thinking about his past, each time he remembered the times that he enjoyed, always trying hard to keep the dark stuff away. But it was hard when there was so much bad and not enough good. To try and drop the topic as a whole Nick got up and went to the shower. The cool water calming his nerve as well as washing the sweat out of his fur.
Once he was out and dry he put on some clothes, a casual Pawaiian shirt with some khaki pants which he topped off with a blue and pink striped tie. It was his usual outfit that he wore when he wasn't working, and as far as he knew he wasn't going out on the job again today.
He didn't know when exactly Judy wanted to be briefed on all the proper protocols, but Nick thought that considering it was his idea he should take the initiative.
At some point in the day prior Nick ended up with both Judy's and Ben's phone number so he quickly created a group chat and sent a short message.
'Meeting in 10 minutes?'
Ben almost immediately responded, 'sounds good. Where at?'
'My apartment'
A few minutes passed without a response from Judy. Nick only hoped that she would show up, the sooner they could start following proper rules then the sooner Nick could feel more comfortable with all that was going on.
A knock on the door signaled that ten minutes had passed. Opening the door Nick wasn't surprised to see the bubbly cheetah waiting. He was wearing some normal business casual attire and held a pen with a pad of paper. He seemed prepared.
As the fox was closing the door, the door across the hall opened revealing the tiny rabbit who lived there. She still seemed tired but looked to be in a much better mood than yesterday (if you would call her normal mood a good mood). She was wearing blue jeans and a red blouse, something simple yet still somehow she made it seem fancy.
"Glad you could join us Cottontail" Nick said with a smirk. The rabbit glared at him,
"You better watch it with these nicknames Wilde" she said, but Nick couldn't tell if she was serious or not. Some part of Nick told him that she enjoyed them, although he only had two right now, he knew he would have to make more.
Once the two were situated on the couch Nick stepped in front of them prepared to speak for just about the next hour.
"Alright shall we begin?" He asked politely. His only answer was a snicker coming from the rabbit. "Is something funny Hopps?"
"Yeah" she said through her laughter, "what are you wearing?"
"I'm wearing my clothes, is there a problem?"
"No…" she said now full on laughing, "no problem"
Nick waited for her fit of laughter to die down so that he could have her full attention. As soon as he had it he began talking again.
"So lets go ahead and start with general procedure…"
The talk lasted about an hour long, Nick taking full advantage of each and every minute, running both the rabbit and cheetah through simulations of what could happen and what their response should be.
"The last code 'we live in a twilight world' should rarely be used. That is really for when the threat is immediately on us and I don't notice it. Such as when the Peter Moosebridge incident occurred, he only activated up to the second code." He said reminiscing on the event that occurred 5 days ago.
"Alright Nick if that is all that you have we all need to get going, Judy has an event in a little bit that we must get to" Clawhauser said standing up and stretching. "I have a new set of clothes for you waiting in my room Nick if you want to come with me".
Nick followed the cheetah out into the hall and to his room while Judy went into her own room to get herself ready.
Somehow the cheetahs apartment layout was different then both Nick and Judy's (most likely because it was at the end of the hall). Yes it was different but it was primarily the size that was different amongst the three rooms, Clawhauser being a lot larger then It was interesting to Nick, he would've thought that Judy would've preferred the bigger apartment.
"This is for you, that other suit can simply go into your wardrobe in case we want to use it again." Clawhauser said handing him a garment bag.
Nick nodded in response and was about to head out when a thought came to his head. "Hey Ben?"
The two turned to look at each other, locking eyes. Nick wanted to be sure to balance on a tight rope during this conversation, he didn't want Clawhauser to know anything he didn't already know.
"You said that Judy started acting different after a certain point, you really don't know what it is that changed her at all?" He asked. Nick wanted to dig in because maybe Clawhauser did know but he just didn't tell him to protect his friend, which Nick understood entirely.
Nicks thoughts were answered before the cheetah even spoke as his face twisted into confusion and then into one of thought.
'He doesn't know about her problem' he thought to himself.
"No I really can't think of anything that would do that to her, why do you ask?" Clawhuaser asked.
Nick shrugged hoping that his acting skills hadn't gotten any worse since his youth, "No reason, I just thought that maybe you would have thought of something after giving you some time to think"
"No sorry I really don't know what happened to her. Now go get changed we have to get out of here soon" Clawhauser said.
His clothes were less fancy this time, the fox could tell that the event was less formal simply by the clothes that were selected for him. He wore a very comfortable light blue, long-sleeve, button-up shirt with a plain pair of khaki pants.
Judy was wearing the same clothes from earlier, her jeans and a blouse. While Clawhauser was wearing a similar outfit to him, but with the inclusion of a sweater vest.
So now Nick sat in the back of the limo once again not knowing where it is that they were going.
"Hey Ben, could you do me a favor and send me a schedule of events that we have? Not that I don't love being surprised and all, I just want to actually be aware of what is happening." Nick said.
Clawhauser nodded in response, "sure I can do that, as for right now we are going to a charity where Judy has agreed to donate 10,000 dollars to. This is the check hand off ceremony."
"Wow, what charity is it Judy?" Nick asked surprised by the rabbit generosity.
Judy shrugged, "I don't remember I agreed to it almost two weeks ago"
Nick rolled his eyes unsurprised at the rabbits lack of care.
"It's the Zootopia Home for Abandoned or Abused Children." Clawhauser spoke up.
The name was familiar to Nick, he remembered that place well. He had stayed there for a few days when he was only 13, after everything had happened in his family. There was nothing wrong with the place but for some reason he didn't want to remain stuck there for what he thought would be the rest of his life. So after five days he escaped, after that its all history. He never thought he would be back there. He wondered if any of the staff there would possibly recognize him,
'There's no way, its been over 11 years' he thought to himself.
The other two mammals in the limo must have noticed Nick's silence and looked at him with wondering eyes, which he eventually noticed.
"What? I was just trying to remember what that charity does" hoping to get the two off his case.
"You mean you don't know the Home for Abandoned and Abused Children does?" Judy asked, "Nick its literally in the name"
"Hey I don't want to hear it Fluff-Butt, I just had a brain fart that's all" Nick said teasing the rabbit, causing Clawhuaser to snicker at the nickname that he used.
Judy once again glared at him, clearly still not enjoying the nicknames.
"What's the matter Hopp's, if you don't like them that much then what should I call you?" He asked
"Just call me by my na-"
"Wait I know! You're from Bunny Burrow right? And your parents are farmers. Therefore from this day forth you shall be known as Carrots"
That was the last straw, the rabbit basically growled and then launched herself at the fox. But he was prepared, he grabbed her out of the air and pulled her in tight so she couldn't hurt him.
At this point Nick had a feeling it would take quite a lot to get him fired considering how poor he did yesterday and how much frustration he caused the rabbit today.
"Relax Carrots please you're going to cause a scene" Nick said laughing.
"Let me go NOW!" The rabbit yelled.
"HEY!" Came Clawhausers voice from the end of the limo catching both Nick and Judy's attention. The limo had stopped and was sitting in front of the charity and there were two mammals outside looking at the limo. The windows were too tinted to see into but it didn't make it any less awkward to have two mammals looking your way when you're messing around but supposed to be acting professional.
Nick quickly let go of the rabbit who slid away from him, checking her outfit to be sure it still looked good. Nick did the same but was thrown off when a small fist connected with his right arm. The punch wasn't that hard but it certainly stung a little, if anything it surprised him more than anything. He looked at the rabbit who had just punched him with surprise in his eyes. Said rabbit was staring back at him looking smug with a half lidded gaze that he thought only he could pull off.
"What's the matter Mr. Bodyguard, can't take a punch?" She asked before pushing him towards the limo door. Nick shook his head and scoffed at the rabbit as he stepped out of the limo.
In order to assure Judy's safety Nick made a new rule that he would be the first one to get out of the limo, so that the second she was out he was already there keeping her safe. Although there were no fans there today, probably because it wasn't a major event like yesterdays TV show. The two mammals outside were wearing normal clothes as well as shirts with the charity's logo on it. One was a smaller male ocelot the other being a female elephant.
Nick slipped on his sunglasses while the other mammals exited the limo.
"Hello Ms. Hopps" the ocelot said approaching the group, "we're so thankful you could make it out here today. The kids don't know your coming but they know they have a special visitor and are very excited"
Judy smiled, "well I can't wait to meet them. How many are there?"
The elephant stepped forward, "if you follow me we can bring you inside, and to answer your question we have about 36 kids staying with us at the moment."
"Wow that is amazing" Judy said in what seemed like genuine amazement.
Nick took a moment to look at the building. It was just as he left it, maybe a little more run down. It wasn't exactly in a great part of Savannah center but the ages of these buildings were starting to show. It was primarily made of bricks and was maybe three stories tall, some of the windows on the front were cracked and the color of the brick was beginning to be bleached by the sun.
The group kept on moving through the front door where Nick continued to have flashbacks. He could hear the voices of kids as they passed by some doors, doors that Nick knew lead to one of the sleeping quarters.
He remembered him and his brother being dropped off here, how nice the mammals were, almost too nice in his opinion. All of it looked exactly the same, it was so strange.
The group was eventually lead to a somewhat large cafeteria that had a small stage at one end. There were some more mammals there waiting including one that he definitely recognized. The head mistress of the house Jessica Mare, a tall stallion who dwarfed most of the mammals around her. When she noticed the groups arrival she stepped towards them with a smile on her face.
"Ms. Hopps it is a pleasure to meet you, I am Mrs. Mare the head mistress of the house" she said sticking out her hoof which Judy shook.
"Please Mrs. Mare the pleasure is all mine. It is so nice to meet a mammal who is doing so much good for this city."
The horse released Judys paw and then looked to the other two.
"Mr. Clawhauser" she nodded to cheetah in greeting.
"Mr. Wilde" she said with an equal amount of enthusiasm, "it is nice to see you again"
'No way she remembers me' Nick thought to himself.
Both Judy and Ben looked at him, they were definitely starting to figure things out in their head so Nick wanted to steer them off course as much as he could.
"I don't believe we have met" Nick said taking off his sunglasses and putting his paws in his pockets.
The horse laughed a little keeping her eyes on the fox. "I mean it has been awhile but I remember every mammal that comes into this place no matter how long they were here for. And might I say you and your brother might have been here for the shortest amount of time out of any other mammal"
Judy's head snapped to Nick, her face perplexed.
"Brother?" she asked.
Nick looked at the horse in front of him and gave her the 'I really don't want to talk about this in front of every mammal in the room please, thank you' look. Thankfully the horse understood and changed the subject, turning her attention back to the rabbit.
"So Ms. Hopps, the children will be coming in here and taking a seat. Once everyone is situated we will have you come out with the check. After that we will allow the kids to come up and talk to you if that is okay with your manager and bodyguard here." She said glancing at the other two mammals.
Judy was still stuck on the revelation of Nick having a brother, while Clawhauser had clearly gotten over it. The cheetah looked at Nick clearly curious as to what he thought about it,
"I'm okay with that, they are just kids after all" Nick said.
"Great. That should last only a few minutes and then after that we will be all done. We will get the children in here in five minutes if you would like to wait on stage" The horse said signaling to the stage.
The group got up on the stage and waited behind the curtain. It wasn't a large stage and there was barely enough room for the three of them behind the curtain.
"Nick I think we have some back story to catch up on" Judy said crossing her arms. Nick sighed knowing that this would happen sooner or later.
"Yes I stayed here for five days. Yes I have a brother. That's all I can tell you right now" he said facing away from the two, hoping that they would see that he really didn't want to talk about this.
"Well I don't really see how its fair that we told you about our lives while you've barely told us anything" Judy said stepping around the fox to look him in the eyes.
Nick sighed once again although this one morphed into a groan, "fine I will let you ask me three questions. I will tell you everything else when the time comes. It's just… very… complicated" Nick didn't really know how to describe his life, it was certainly a life he was not proud to have lived.
"Alright what is your brothers name?" She asked.
"Isaac"
"Why did you never tell us about him?"
"Because you never asked" he said quickly. Luckily neither of these questions were bad, and with only one left he only hoped that the trend continued.
"How many family members do you have?"
'Shit' he thought to himself.
"Four" it wasn't true, sure at some point he had four but now… there were less.
"Who else i-" She was about to ask another question when Nick cut her off.
"Ah ah ah. I said three. You asked and I answered."
The rabbit grumbled under her breath stepping back towards Clawhauser who was listening intently the whole time. By this time the children had begun to mill into the cafeteria taking their seats in front of the stage. Judy knew that there was no way she would get anything else out of him in that moment,
'Later' she thought to herself heading towards the side of the curtain where she was going to step out form.
"Good afternoon everyone" called the horse from the other side of the curtain.
"Good afternoon Mrs. Mane" all the children said in unison.
'Jeez its just like I remember' Nick thought to himself.
"Today we have an extra special guest here for you today. She is here to present us with a very nice donation as well as talk to all of you. Many of you have probably heard her music or seen her perform on the TV. Please help me in giving a warm welcome to Judy Hopps"
The children screamed out when they heard who it was that was visiting them. They were utterly surprised to see the rabbit step out from behind the curtain. Even though it was only 36 kids the screams and cheers were nearly deafening behind the curtain, Nick couldn't even imagine how loud it was out there.
Eventually they quieted down allowing Judy to speak.
"Hello boys and girls" she said.
"Good afternoon Ms. Hopps" all the students said.
"It is so wonderful to meet all of you. Just like Mrs. Mare said I'm here to give this house a lot of money. This money will go to maintaining this wonderful place for future generations of kids who are just like you." She said with a big smile on her face.
The event went on for a little bit longer, Mrs. Mare asking Judy certain questions about her life and other things that the kids would be interested in. Then finally Judy went down the steps and took a picture with all the kids. After that they were allowed to talk to her as they pleased. At this point both Nick and Clawhauser stepped out from behind the curtain and waited to the side while Judy got all the attention.
But soon even the kids grew tired and began to head back to their sleeping quarters. By now it was around 7 o'clock and after that much excitement Nick didn't blame them.
"Phew that was crazy" Judy said walking towards the two males.
"You did well out there Hopps, I could've sworn you were going to scare those kids off" Nick said jokingly.
"Oh har har, jokes on you I actually love kids" Judy said.
Nick felt a shiver run down his spine thinking about the germ riddled kids, he wasn't a clean freak but children to him were kind of gross.
"I don't know I think kids are kind of gross little snot-rock-" Nick said before he was cut off by a small voice behind him.
"Excuse me"
Nick turned around to see a small male fox, maybe 5 or 6 years old, standing behind him.
"Oh sorry kid didn't see you there," he said stepping out of the way so that he could talk to Judy, "go ahead".
Judy waved to the small mammal thinking that he was there to talk to her. But both her and Nick were surprised when the kids eyes stayed on the taller fox.
"Who are you?" The child asked, tilting his head adorably.
"Oh, well I'm her bodyguard" Nick said pointing over to the rabbit. The small fox's eyes lit up in wonder.
"Wow, a fox bodyguard. That is so cool. So you like, keep her safe and stuff?" The fox asked.
Nick then realized that this conversation might last for a little bit so he lowered himself down onto one knee to speak to the kid more directly.
"Yeah that is what I do" Nick said looking at the rabbit who had an expression that Nick couldn't quite understand what it meant.
"When I grow up I want a cool job just like you Mr. Fox" The kid said.
"Listen…" he wanted to push the kid to accomplish his dreams, "you can do whatever you want to do kid. Other mammals may try to put you down but if you work hard enough you will be able to accomplish anything. And you can call Nick" He said reaching out his paw to the fox which he took and shook.
"My name is Asher, and do you really think I can do whatever I want?"
"I do, I mean look at me, I have a pretty cool job. As long as you don't let other mammals words get to you, you can do anything you want" Nick said honestly.
Asher let go of Nicks paw and ran into him for a hug, which surprised the much larger fox. He sat there motionless for a few moments before patting the smaller fox on the back. After. A few seconds passed before Asher let go of Nick, but when he did he turned and began to leave.
"Thank you Nick" he said one more time before leaving the cafeteria. He stood up and looked at Judy, the look on her face had gone and was replaced by a look of appreciation. A look that Nick certainly wasn't expecting.
"You know for not liking kids you sure were nice to him" Judy said.
"Yeah well, he was a cute little monster wasn't he" Nick said.
Just then something changed in Judy, she needed something and he knew what it was. She might have been feeling it for awhile but it was now that he noticed.
Mrs. Mare came over one more time and thanked them all for coming, she thanked Judy for the donation one more time and then turned to leave.
"Excuse me Mrs. Mare, could you possibly tell me where the bathroom is?" Judy asked.
"Yes it is right down that hall second door on your right" the horse said before leaving.
Judy turned to leave as well but Nick grabbed her arm stopping her.
"Judy, are you sure you have to use the bathroom?" Nick asked looking into Judy's so that she knew that he knew what she was about to do.
"Yes I really do" She said trying to pull away from him.
"Are you sure you can't just wait maybe a little bit?" Nick pleaded one more time.
"No I cannot wait now Nick, let me go" Judy said glaring at him.
He knew there was no winning this battle, she had a craving that only the drugs could solve so he let her go. She quickly scrambled to hallway and out of sight.
"What was that all about?" Clawhauser asked from behind Nick.
"Oh, I'm just impatient and wanted to leave so I was hoping she could just wait until we got home" Nick lied.
They waited there for what felt like an eternity causing Nick to start fearing the worst. Just as he was going to check on her she came back into the cafeteria skipping as she went.
"Alright lets go" she said in an extra chipper mood.
Without question the group headed out and back into the car. No dilly-dallying this time, Nick didn't want to give any possible threats the chance to strike. The drive back was relaxed, except for Judy who was bouncing in her seat, the drugs clearly taking a hold on her entire body. Nick needed to talk to her, but he just had to find the right time.
Once they were back in the apartments they went their separate ways like normal. Nick took advantage of the free time to cook himself a meal of salmon with vegetables on the side. Now that his paycheck was larger he could afford quality to fish to cook with. Heck he could actually cook now that he had a kitchen.
While he was eating his mind went to reflecting on his day, it was a good day, much better than yesterday. He felt that after the one night in this new apartment, with his new job, around new people, he was already starting to settle in. Judy seemed to be one busy client, which was good because it would keep him busy. And with the schedule that Clawhauser sent him he now knew what days he was busy. Looking at it truly revealed how busy the rabbit was, there were events almost everyday whether they be performances or PR events and at the end of the month there was even a TV show cameo scheduled for one of Zootopia's most popular sitcoms, Packed House.
Nick hated to say it but understood why the rabbit was doing the drugs now. She was working herself to death so she barely had the energy to get up in the morning. The cocaine gave her the ability to do the crazy amount of stuff that she did. The bad part about that is that eventually she would create a tolerance to a low dose so she would slowly have to keep increasing the dose in order to feel the same effect. And Nick didn't exactly know when she started on it but if she started a long time ago the dose could already be getting to a dangerous level. Nick looked up to check the time, 9 o'clock. If she were to have a lethal dose it would have already came, but maybe she was having a bad trip and shouldn't be left alone…
Thinking about this Nick abandoned his meal and went across the hall. He knocked on the door a few times praying that the rabbit would answer. It had been two hours since she had taken it, and a lot can happen in two hours while unsupervised on drugs. When Nick heard the door handle jiggle he let out a sigh of relief that he didn't know he was holding. The door opened revealing a very relaxed Judy who was once again wearing silk pajamas but this time they were a dark red. Nick was still in his clothes that he wore for the event, not having the time to change out of them.
"What's up Nick? I'm a little busy right now." Judy asked looking up at the fox.
'Busy doing what' he thought. The drugs had clearly warn off which Nick could tell by she was no longer bouncing off the walls.
"Oh sorry, I was just wondering if you had a moment to talk about something" Nick asked not wanting to say anything out loud just in case anyone could hear them.
"Aw does the big bad fox need someone to tell him a bedtime story?" Judy asked mockingly putting her paws on her hips.
"No like I really would like to talk to you" Nick said. When Judy noticed how serious the fox was she stepped to the side to let him in.
"Can we sit over here to talk?" He asked awkwardly pointing towards the small glass table in the corner. He knew that he didn't live here so he didn't want to over step his boundaries, he just wanted to set an atmosphere that he wanted to help her and he didn't think he could do that on a couch.
"Sure" she said taking a seat, "what's on your mind Nick?"
Nick sat across from her and rested his head on his paws wondering how to approach the situation, he may be a good sly talker but not the greatest down to earth talker.
"I just think we should discuss your… problem" Nick said.
Judy looked at him confused before understanding dawned on her face, "oh, sure lets talk about it" she said tepidly.
"Alright, how long have you been doing drugs?" Nick asked.
"A few years now, I did other smaller drugs until like a year ago I started coke" Judy said honestly.
Nick nodded in understanding, most mammals didn't just start on one drug. It normally begins with something small and progresses to much worse.
"Have you ever tried to get help for it?" Nick asked
Judy shook her head, "No, I've never felt a real need for it. I understand that it is not good for me , but the thing is they work for what I need, especially the coke"
"Well then I don't think you understand just how dangerous these things are. Mammals lives are ruined with these, hell some mammals die" Nick said raising his volume a little at the rabbits statement.
"Listen Nick like I said, I know they are bad. But the thing is I feel like at this point I can't live without the-"
"I'm going to stop you right there Fluff. Did you hear what you were just about to say, 'I can't without them'. That is literally the key phrase you listen for when you are checking a mammal for an addiction"
The two mammals were now getting heated, neither one being able to get their point across to the other.
"I'm not addicted, I just need it. If I wanted to I could probably stop over time but whats the point, I know the proper amount to take and I can control myself pretty well while I'm on them so that no one notices. I'm not worried about it and neither should you" Judy said standing up in her chair and looking Nick straight in the eyes.
"Judy, as your bodyguard I need you to trust me on this. I am worried for you and I think you should stop"
"What could you possibly know about any of this? Why are you so worried? Don't you trust me?" Judy screamed in rage.
Nick finally snapped, his resolve gone. He only wanted to help because he knew where she could end up.
"I KNOW ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT'S ALL HAPPENED TO ME!" Nick yelled standing up from his chair.
Silence filled the room as Judy absorbed what Nick had just said.
"Y- you've done drugs before?" She asked quietly.
"Yes I have" he told her. He never wanted to relive what happened to him but he knew in order to help Judy he would have to tell her everything.
"What happened?" Even Judy could tell hat she was diving into treacherous waters by asking that question.
Nick debated one more time whether he wanted to actually tell this rabbit he had met two days ago a low point of his life. But he ultimately decided to do it for her, he cared for her (for some reason).
"We should sit for this, its going to be a long story" Nick said sitting back down at the kitchen table.
Whew this was a difficult one. Most of the time these just come to me but this one was hard that is why it took so long (my apologies). Let me know how you feel about this one, I kind of took a little different approach in it and I'm wondering what you think. I also have a few answers to some of the reviews that I got.
Someone stated that they saw Nick as a bad bodyguard. And he is, he has only been doing this for a few months (six I believe is what I put) he isn't as experienced as a really professional bodyguard. And with all that has changed for him over the past few days it is hard to keep up. Good statement though!
A lot of people were actually surprised by Judy's addiction. This is something I had planned from the beginning of the story, Nick being this random mammal who she just met who can hopefully help her. It creates an interesting dynamic in the crazy city as well making it a little less of a safe-haven for mammals.
And lastly I have received a lot of really nice reviews. And let me just say THANK YOU. I think I've said it every chapter but this chapter was hard to write as I said, and these reviews really helped push me to try and keep at it.
I hope you enjoyed this whole story so far, more chapters to come (soon I hope). Take it easy everyone and stay safe!
(Also I think it is crazy that I started to really begin writing consistently a year ago when COVID first hit. A year is a long time and it has certainly been one hell of a year. But hey now we got a vaccine so normalcy can begin to return (I hope))
DAG