Even though I graduated from undergrad a year ago, I feel the need to post a new chapter to this at the beginning of the fall or spring semester when possible. Maybe encouragement? I don't know.


Saturday morning,

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Clawhauser groaned and pulled a pillow over his head, trying to block out the blasted sound. Keeping the pillow over his face, the cheetah reached out in the direction of the alarm. The paw found the nightstand and began searching for the clock. Clawhauser struggled to spend as little energy as possible in trying to silence the alarm. With each passing second, his paw failed to grasp anything, and the noise became more unbearable.

Finally at his limit, the cheetah removed the pillow from his face and grunted as he used both paws to lift his back. It felt an eternity, but the cheetah finally managed to sit up, but before he could focus on the alarm clock, a wave of dizziness overcame him and threatened to fall back onto the bed. Despite being a nuisance, the alarm clock was the only thing keeping him alert. Ben slowly turned his body until he felt his legs fall and hang over the bed.

His eyes, which had been closed since hearing the alarm, forced themselves open. His vision was blurry at first before it became clear seconds later. Ben could finally see the alarm clock in all its glory and reached forward with a paw.

THWACK!

With a hard slap, peace and silence filled the room and the cheetah with relief. Ben closed his eyes and let out a satisfying sigh before checking the time.

10:00 AM

He couldn't complain since it was Saturday, but part of him wished for more sleep. It was only then he realized today was supposed to be the original date for the study group's party. Hence the reason for the earlier alarm. But it had been moved forward to Friday night because of Bogo's large assignment. The cheetah growled from the thought of reviewing thirty cases.

With a resigned sigh and battling the dizziness, Ben pushed himself forward until he felt his feet touch the carpet. It took great effort to replace his pajamas with a bathrobe and a towel and collect his toiletries. The cheetah began shuffling his feet towards the door and, hopefully without any obstacles, to the showers. His mind went on autopilot as he walked to the dorm's lavatory. Fortunately, every mammal he passed by on the way ignored him.

While not the only mammal in the showers, Ben was grateful that everyone minded their own business for the duration of his cleansing. The water partly relieved the hangover, and his mind remained on autopilot as he brushed his teeth. Feeling refreshed, Ben moved at a slightly normal pace back to his room. His mind was on how the group was going to study when a voice called his name.

"Ben!"

The cheetah halted in his place, recognizing the voice to be Nick's. He turned around to see the fox standing by his room with a smug look on his face. Upon closer inspection, Nick was dressed in a green Pawaiian shirt, a blue tie with red stripes, and brown slacks. He also carried an open book in his paws.

"Either you're not hungover or got over it before I woke up."

The fox chuckled. "The first one. I've been up since eight reviewing these cases."

Ben raised an eyebrow, confused at the last sentence. "But you're not a morning mammal."

"You can thank Carrots for that. She knocked on my door and wouldn't leave until I answered. She's on her way to Skye's room now."

Ben raised his head to the ceiling and let out a loud groan at the thought of reviewing the cases for Contracts. "Are we meeting after lunch? I rather have food in my belly before studying."

"Yep, we're having lunch at Fru Fru's place."

The cheetah snapped his head back down, curiosity taking over. "Why?"

"Every study room will be filled with students from Bogo's Contracts, so she arranged for us to spend the afternoon in a library at her place. Basically, eat first and then study. We're leaving at 11:30."

Ben's eyes widened, and his ears perked in excitement. "Wow, I'll have to thank her when we get there."

But before he could leave, Nick raised a paw to stop him. "Oh, and speaking of food, the party is over so the deal is back on."

The cheetah's joy disappeared, and he whined and slammed his head on the nearest wall. "Do I have to?! Can't we call it even?"

Still sporting his smirk, Nick closed his book. "You're in luck!"

At this, Ben lifted himself off the wall and gave Nick a hopeful look.

"Oh no, I'm not calling it even." He could see the cheetah visibly debate but still curious enough to hear him out. "I'll let you have a freebie the Monday after Bogo's class as a reward for helping the group through these cases."

The cheetah clenched his paws in excitement and let out a squeal that luckily only pierced Nick's ears. "Oh thank you! You know I won't let you guys down!"

It amazed Nick how quickly sugar can motivate the cheetah. One moment he's dragging his feet while nursing a hangover, and the next, he is skipping into his room like it never happened. The fox took a moment to check that his hearing was normal when another familiar voice appeared.

"I see that Ben is up." Nick turned and saw Jack approaching. The buck wore a black polo shirt and black slacks. "I'm surprised he doesn't look hungover."

"He probably was earlier, and we missed it. How long have you been up?"

"True, and since six."

"Being nocturnal, I will never understand how mammals can get up early so easily."

"I'm no scientist, so all I can say is it's in our biology." Jack crossed his arms and leaned his back against the wall. "You know I was expecting half the group to get drunk. I'm surprised neither you nor Judy did. Fru already explained to me her reasons."

"Carrots grew up on a farm, so she's likely built up a tolerance from whatever they drink in Bunnyburrow. The drinks at the party likely pale in comparison to theirs. As for me, I've seen enough damages from the drunken cases my dad took on to steer me away from overdoing it."

"I see. I can't say the same for Skye," His ears fell, and he had a look of concern. "I hope she's alright. The party must have released the stress and frustration pent up inside."

"Thankfully, nothing bad happened. Judy's keeping an eye out on her. She'll let us know if she needs help."

Jack nodded in understanding. He then raised a question on their meeting at Fru's place. "What's our plan when we arrive?"

"Lunch first. According to Mr. Big, he wants our minds sharp for this assignment."

Jack smiled from hearing the gesture. "That's very nice of him."

"Yep, we'll be taken to a library to begin studying the cases afterwards. A quick review of the older ones before focusing on the newer ones. Judy's outline will help with the former. I'll explain more in detail when we're together."

"Is it just for today, or are we coming back Sunday?"

"Today. We'll see about finding another place tomorrow."

Jack lifted himself off the wall and acknowledged Nick with a nod. "I'll see you outside."

Nick gave a two-finger salute as the two returned to their rooms and began packing for the afternoon.


Knock Knock Knock

Judy stood in front of Skye's door, having knocked a few times to see if her friend was awake. The rabbit wore a blue bathrobe and carried her toiletries in one arm.

"Skye? Are you up yet?"

At first, she didn't hear anything. A few moments passed, and the rabbit knocked again. This time a groan through the door.

"Go…away…"

Judy sighed as she turned the knob and entered the room. The rabbit knew the door was unlocked, but she wanted to be polite and announce her presence before barging in. While she would prefer the door locked, Skye being heavily drunk warranted it to be open in case of emergencies. Luckily with other law students too drunk from the party or having morals, nothing happened to the arctic vixen while she slept.

Skye lay haphazardly across her bed, her head facing down at a trash bucket for her projectiles. The vixen was still in her clothes from last night, so Fangmeyer must have put her to bed before she went to sleep herself. Judy stopped a few steps from the bed, and the vixen groaned while her ears flicked in annoyance from having her demands ignored.

"I said go away."

"It's ten in the morning."

"I don't care."

"We have to review these cases for Bogo."

"I rather fail."

Judy rolled her eyes as she approached the vixen to help her to the showers. Even with a hangover, Skye could still hear the footsteps approaching and comprehend what that meant.

"No!" The vixen scrambled under her blankets, hoping to escape the rabbit or convey that she didn't want to be bothered.

But that didn't deter Judy. Growing up with many brothers and sisters, she had experience forcing the more stubborn ones out of bed, including those bigger than her. Judy set down her toiletries on Skye's drawers and grabbed the blanket.

She could feel the vixen resisting. "Come on, Skye. I'll help you to the showers and clean up too."

The rabbit saw what appeared to be the vixen curling into a fetal position under the blanket. "No, I can do it myself."

"And I believe you, but we can't be wasting time."

Skye let out another groan. "Why do we have to study now? We haven't had breakfast yet!"

"Actually, the group's going to Fru Fru's place to have brunch and to study."

The vixen halted her resistance upon hearing the visit. "Really?"

That moment was what Judy needed as she used all her strength to yank the blanket. Unfortunately, she also yanked the vixen off the bed.

"Yip!" Skye landed on the carpet with a thud and let out a painful groan.

"Sorry! Meant to pull the blanket off!"

Skye wrestled with the blanket for a few seconds before poking her head out. The vixen shook her head to get her bearings and saw Judy standing there. Her eyes then narrowed.

Judy only offered a weak smile.

"I might as well get up now." She grumbled while throwing the blanket off and forcing herself onto her feet.

"You need help getting ready?"

"I got it. Just bear with me."

"Okay. I'll be waiting by the door."

The rabbit moved to the doorway as the vixen went to her closet to change into her shower robe. Judy remained alert in case Skye needed assistance.

"Any reason why we're studying at Fru's place?" The vixen said as she threw last night's clothes onto the bed.

The rabbit's ears perked up. "She says it's to avoid fighting over a place to study on campus."

Judy heard her movements stop for a moment before resuming. "Oh right. I forgot that everyone in Bogo's class is stressing over his assignment."

"Yep, Fru says we'll be eating first and then be taken to the library to study."

This time the vixen's head appeared from around the corner with a raised eyebrow. "Her dad approved the idea?"

"He more than welcomed it."

A look of surprise overcame the vixen. "Wow, that's very nice of him, but he must be wanting something in return."

"Fru will probably explain once we get there."

Satisfied with the answer, Skye returned to preparing for the showers. "By the way, why aren't you hungover?"

"Farm girl. We often share our products with other families. Some of them make liquor for us to taste. The stuff at the party pales in comparison."

"Ugh, I don't want to imagine how I will end up."

"I say a few cups will knock you out."

Skye finally emerged in an orange bathrobe and carried her toiletries. "Are you serious?!"

"I can ask my parents to send a jug for our next party if you like."

Skye leaned her head back and placed a paw on her forehead. "If they do, make sure to tell my family that I love them."

The girls broke into a laugh before Skye suddenly grabbed her head and let out another groan as the pain returned.

"Ow. I hope this goes away before we study."

"Don't worry. We're reviewing the easy ones before tackling the harder cases. You aren't the only one hungover."

"Who else is?"

"Clawhauser."

"Only him? No one else in the study group is?"

"To be fair I thought Jack would be the same, but he surprised me."

Judy could see Skye's ears wilt. "Now I feel like a fool for getting drunk."

The rabbit approached her friend and placed a comforting paw on her shoulder. "Don't be! Everyone enjoyed the party in their own way. There is no shame in that."

Her words were enough to cheer up the vixen. "You're right."

"There you go! Now let's get ready. We have to meet Fru Fru outside with our ride to her place."

Skye had no further objections, and the two headed the showers.


11:45 AM, Big Residence, Tundratown

The limo arrived at the Big estate, and the study group exited the vehicle with their bags and briefcases. Raymond and Kevin directed the mammals to the dining room for lunch where Mr. Big waited for them.

"Welcome! Pleased to have you here."

The polar bears helped seat the study group.

"Thank you for the invitation," Judy said.

"You're welcome, Miss Hopps." The father shrew said. "I understand that a change of scenery is necessary from time to time. My daughter tells me good things about the study group. I hope to continue hearing this wonderful news in the future."

"We'll find out after our midterm Mr. Big," Nick said.

"Sir, if I may," Jack interjected. "As a mammal, I realize that you may indeed be doing this out of kindness. But as a law student, you must be wanting something in return other than our future success."

Big let out a chuckle. "You are fair to assume that. Rest assured. I will not ask of you anything that will jeopardize your careers as lawyers. But to answer your question, I am allowing this visit to see if studying in my home will be beneficial. Should the results be successful, I will grant this location for important occasions such as exams and preparation while on internships. As for refreshments, the group will be responsible for providing it to themselves in the future."

"Understandable," Skye said. "We promise to focus on our academics on the visits unless your daughter directs otherwise."

"Excellent." The shrew then took note of other mammals entering the dining room. "Ah, lunch has arrived. Shall we indulge?"

The mammals thank the servers as plates of food were placed before them. After saying grace, they picked up the utensils.


Mr. Big heard a grunt from Koslov, and he looked up to see the polar bear revealing the time on his pocket watch.

"Koslov has just informed me that lunch is over."

"Well thank you for providing us with a delicious meal," Ben said.

"You're welcome. My bears will direct you to where you will be studying."

"In the library, I presume?" Skye asked.

"Yes, I have arranged the location for your purposes. I realized that studying can get messy, so there is enough space for your books, electronics, and papers. If you feel the need for refreshments, you only need to ask. I trust you will clean up after yourselves when finished."

"We appreciate your kindness again, Mr. Big," Jack said.

The study group placed the napkins on the tables and grabbed their belongings before following Troy to the library. True to the shrew's words, it was massive. Bookshelves lined the walls. Chairs and tables were spread throughout the room. Various portraits of mammals and scenery hung on the walls. It even had a fireplace should one choose to for the classic setting. Except for Nick and Fru Fru, everyone else was mesmerized by the contents of the library.

"This is amazing!" Judy exclaimed.

"Thank you," Fru said. "Daddy spared no expense in building this room."

"Okay, let's get reading," Nick said.

He approached a table and laid his bag and briefcase on the ground. His action caused the others to come back to reality as they gathered around the fox.

"Judy's outline will help out with the older cases, so we'll briefly review them to refresh our memories. The plan for each case is to spend some time reviewing the material before going Sowcratic. One mammal will be Bogo to question us on the case." Nick brought out a kitchen timer. "Fifteen minutes for the older cases. Twenty-five minutes for the newer ones. We'll get through as much as we can today and prioritize the remaining ones if we fall behind."

"Sounds like a plan," Judy said.

The group finished unpacking and laid out their material. They got comfortable in their spots as Nick set the timer for fifteen minutes for the first case of Hogkins v. McGrizzly.

Four hours had passed, and just as expected, the study group breezed through the older cases thanks to Judy's outline. They also enjoyed taking turns pretending to be Bogo, using the opportunity to ridicule the mammal responsible for ruining their weekend plans. The newer cases presented a challenge since this was the first time they were being read. The brief enjoyment soon faded as the number of remaining cases occupied their minds. Fatigue and frustration slowly began taking their toll, though the impressions of Bogo had improved.

"Alright," Nick said. who wants to be Bogo this time?"

"I will!" The shrew volunteered. Troy helped her over to the center table.

"Okay," Judy said. "Give us your best impression."

Fru Fru cleared her throat to prepare her Bogo voice. "City Bank v. Ramon. The principles…" The shrew scanned the five mammals, deciding on whom to test. A few seconds passed before she pointed a finger. "Ben."

The cheetah looked at his notes. "Uh, insufficient consideration. The Bank sued for the return of the money loaned because the collateral, which were carloads of iron ore, had diminished in value due to a drop in the market. But the Bank failed to prove fraud and lost the case."

"Correct. What happened next?" She scanned the remaining mammals before pointing. "Nick."

"Raymond countersued the bank on the basis that they slandered his reputation and won again."

"Correct again. Now, did he win on direct or appeal?" This time, the shrew pointed at the arctic vixen. "Skye."

The arctic vixen turned her gaze upward and had a frustrated look on her face. The display shocked the study group into silence. Fru Fru quietly lowered her arm and waited for the vixen's answer. The silence and the tension among them prevailed.

Finally, Skye slammed her book closed. "I'm done with this assignment." She threw the book aside. "Come Monday, I'm going to tell Bogo where to stick it."

Clawhauser became concerned at the thought. "Are you really going to challenge Bogo on this?"

She snapped her head at the cheetah. "Well thirty cases in three days is cruel and unusual punishment!"

Nick shook his head. "Cruel? Yes. Unusual? Not for Bogo."

Judy recognized the potential minefield and quickly interjected to defuse the tension. "Let's take a break! We've already covered a third of the cases thanks to my outline. Come back in thirty minutes?"

Skye got up the moment the announcement was finished and retreated out of the library.

Once out of sight, Jack turned back to the group. "Should someone go talk to her?"

Nick waved a paw. "Give her some time alone. She probably needs to clear her head."

Fru Fru motioned for Troy to pick her up. "I'll order us some refreshments."

"Good. I was getting hungry," Clawhauser said.

The rest of the study group dispersed or remained in their seats to enjoy the break. After a trip to the restroom, Judy found Nick seated on the sofa.

"Hey."

The fox looked up to see his friend standing close by. "Hey, need something or just stopping to chat?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Sure," Nick moved the books and papers aside, giving space for the rabbit. "Take a seat."

Judy calmly sat down next to him and laid down while letting out a huge sigh.

"What's on your mind?" Nick asked. "Is it Skye?"

The bunny shook her head. "No, I've seen this with my sisters before. I'll jump in if she hasn't calmed down by the end of the day."

Nick was amused by her decision. "That's a first. Normally I see you wasting no time trying to help."

"Girl problems are complicated and messy. I want to fix them, but I don't have to like them."

This elicited a chuckle from Nick. "Alright, what is it then?"

Judy wanted a further explanation on why he didn't want to see her fail. But as she approached Nick, the rabbit realized that the conversation is best suited between only her and Nick. She decided to inquire him on a different topic. "Did you choose Torts because of how mammals treat you?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, I thought…since you told me of how foxes are mistreated, I naturally…concluded that was an area you would excel in."

A smirk grew on his face. "Were you going to say assume? Didn't Bogo tell you not to do that?"

He felt her fist connect. "Just answer the question."

"Careful bunny. I could bring up the list of charges of assault and possibly coercion."

Judy narrowed her eyes at him. "Nick…"

He quickly put his paws up in surrender. "Okay. Okay. Yes, I chose it because most of my father's cases involved Torts. He would rather have worked in a different area, but when your firm terminates you and mammals will refuse your services because of your species, you have to pay back those loans and gain experience somehow." Nick let out a deep sigh. "But those were the most painful ones. The entire process from gathering evidence to the trials was heartbreaking."

Nick heard movement and felt Judy lean against him in comfort.

He silently appreciated the gesture and continued. "Needless to say, Dad was going to return the favor if the defendants wanted the plaintiffs to suffer."

"What did he do?"

"He played on their weakness, using their prejudice against them. Asking questions during cross-examination and arguing to where they would get them riled to the point where it was on full display for the courtroom. Obviously, he needed to be very careful, but it usually ended with the ruling in our favor. Even if the judge may also be biased against foxes. With the awards, he only took the minimum and gave the rest to his clients."

"And is that how you started learning about Torts?"

Nick chuckled. "Unfortunately, yes. When mammals refuse to be your friends because you're a fox, you tend to find distractions to lessen the pain. Being an unofficial clerk for Dad was that for me. I did begin thinking of ways to use the law as revenge for the bullies, but Dad sadly had to shoot down the idea since minors couldn't sue. At most, he could threaten a lawsuit against the school, but I had to tell him why he should sue the school."

Judy felt a sense of dread from that line of thought. "Please tell me you didn't."

"Relax, only when it came to academics since it can be proven if I'm graded fairly."

The rabbit breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed again. "That makes sense. Is that also when you started thinking of becoming a lawyer yourself?"

Nick nodded. "It sounds selfish, but I understand the benefits with knowledge of the law. That's when Dad said,"

You better go to law school and get a degree first before even thinking about legal action.

"He…scared me by saying there are mammals who are eager to…bring down the hammer on mammals practicing law without a license. Combine that with my species, and you get a recipe for disaster. So I majored in criminal justice, took the LSAT, and here I am. My perspective has changed since then. I no longer want to wield the law as a weapon and am more in following my dad's footsteps."

Hearing his current motives made Judy smile. "I'm glad to hear that you've changed. I would have some choice words for your previous motives."

Nick looked down and grinned. "Oh? Did you have a better one? Also, why were you so adamant on outlining Contract?"

Judy found herself lying her head on Nick's lap, and he didn't seem bothered by the act. "It has always been to make the world a better place. To tell you the truth, I wanted to be a police officer. But when I got older and tried to apply, I didn't satisfy the academy requirements. I couldn't believe it at first, so I researched everything, thinking I may have missed something. From information on their website to the government, I found nothing that would allow small mammals as myself to join the police. Unless I was a rodent, there was no chance. I felt so angry. How could a mammal be denied certain opportunities because of their species?"

"You didn't try contacting mammals in the government?"

"I lived in Bunnyburrow at the time. Why would Zootopia be concerned with a mammal not in their jurisdiction? I thought about other options too, but it would have taken too much time for anything to change. The possibility of being too old to be a police officer was on my mind."

"Then you decided to become a lawyer?"

Judy nodded. "I could still make the world a better place. Even though I wouldn't be catching criminals, I would make sure they face justice for their crimes. Along the way, I can also change it to where mammals are no longer denied certain opportunities because of their species."

"And how will you do that?"

Judy's eyes became determined. "The best and only way: make it into law."

Slowly, Nick began to understand her motives. "Which would require you getting in the government, and if they are going to take you seriously, you would need the credentials."

"Exactly."

Nick whistled. "That's ambitious. For now, I only can wish you good luck. And the reason for choosing Contracts?"

"That has to do with my family. Farmers are commonly signing contracts between businesses and themselves. Most try to get the best for their interests so negotiations can get ugly."

"I bet."

"Ugh. You don't know half of it. Those contract negotiations were my first exposure to law and where I discovered that you didn't have to commit a crime to cause suffering. After things came to an impasse once again, I decided to do my research so that next time things broke down, I would restore balance to the terms. I have no proper words to describe the first time I successfully stopped a bad contract. But I knew some mammals had no choice or were unaware of the terms of the contracts signed."

"Did your family let you become part of their negotiations?"

A sullen look came over Judy. "I wasn't licensed, so all I could do was help with the research. Still, the experience was enough to shift my dream of being a police officer to being a lawyer."

"Good to hear you didn't give up."

Judy scoffed. "You should know this by now. I don't know when to quit."

The sound of the timer going off signaled to the group that their break had ended.

"Sorry Carrots, break's over."

Judy grumbled as she reluctantly removed herself from Nick. But that didn't mean she had to leave the spot. "Mind if I move my stuff over here? I figure a different seat will help turn the gears in my brain."

Nick laughed at the joke on Bogo's comments. "Sure, Carrots. If you think it helps."

"Great!"

Judy hopped off the sofa and gathered her belongings as everyone else returned from the break. Clawhauser, Jack, and Skye returned, but their host remained absent. Questions were about to be raised when the sound of wheels caught their attention. The mammals turned to the noise and saw Fru Fru and Troy bringing a cart of snacks, drinks, small plates, and napkins.

"Anyone up for some comfort food?" The arctic shrew asked.

"Much appreciated," Jack said.

Troy nodded and stood off to the side, ready to assist when called upon.

Fru Fru continued. "We have coffee, juice, and water for drinks. For snacks, we have a deli platter that includes hard boiled eggs for the predators."

"Oh thank you!" Ben quickly sampled a few of the eggs as his friends helped themselves.

Nick sat down with a plate of celery and a cup of coffee. "Now before we resume, there is something that needs to be addressed." The red fox gave a stern look at the arctic vixen.

Skye instantly got the message and returned with a snarl. "I'm fine now. Okay? I just needed time to clear my head."

"I just want to be sure. The last thing the class needs is another form of discipline from Bogo."

"Doesn't mean I can't voice my frustration."

"And you are free to do so among us. Heck, take shots at us if it helps."

"Listen to him, Skye," Judy pleaded, setting down her plate. "We all knew the risks when enrolling Bogo's class. Telling him off won't make a difference at best. At worst, he might give you extra assignments. You've seen twice how that can affect a mammal. It's not worth it."

No one else said anything after the exchange. Nothing had to be with everyone else sharing the sentiment. But some were wondering if Fru's place allowed any conflicts within the study group to surface. It was only the second instance, but none wanted it to become a tradition and risk losing the privilege to visit Fru's home. Ben, Jack, and Fru were focused on enjoying the snacks and drinks while Nick, Judy, and Skye exchanged looks. It was clear that the mammals didn't want another clash, but they knew it was inevitable with study groups. It was a matter of finding a quick or temporary solution until a more appropriate time.

Finally, Skye let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes, realizing her outburst would only bring more trouble. "Oh alright. I'll refrain from making any disparaging remarks to Bogo directly."

Judy perked, happy that they found a resolution. "Thank you. I promise that you can use that frustration to your advantage." She winked at the fox. "Trust me."

That finally got her to smile.

"Now with that matter settled," Nick brought a book onto his lap and opened to where they last left off. "Skye, did Ramon win on direct or appeal?"


Did he? I wish I knew since I believe this was a hypothetical created for the tv series.