Serendipity's Shadow
Rated T
Chapter 3
Judy had wasted no time with Miss Mustela. She had asked Chief Bogo to send an officer out to retrieve Miss Mustela's things. And he was quick to exact that order. Leaving Miss Mustela and Hopps in his office.
"Miss Mustela-"
"Stop with the Miss already." The ferret demanded. "Just call me Tia."
"Tia?"
"My brother could never say, Cynthia. So, he would just call me Tia."
"Understood." Judy nodded. "I'm the oldest of all my siblings."
"I only ever had my little brother." Tia answered as her eyes darkened.
Judy, taking the hint not to try and pry any further, tried to think of something else to talk about. But she decided that the best course of action was to just stick to being a professional.
"After we receive your things I'll see if we can get Fenton to drive us to my apartment."
"You don't have a car?" Tia asked alarmed.
"Nope." Judy answered shrugging her shoulders "I usually walk everywhere or take the subway."
"…great." Tia grumbled.
Judy only smiled helplessly at the girl. Also taking this moment to observe the black-footed ferret. She was dressed in ripped jeans, a blue tank top covered in a black cardigan, and one diamond earring in her right ear. The girl only wore bright blue eye shadow for makeup. She was beautiful, but not in the 'look only at me kind of way', one could easily walk past her on the street and not think much about it. That is unless you were looking for it on her.
"Hopps." Chief Bogo walked through the door. "Fenton is ready to drive you two to your apartment."
"Alrighty then!" Judy exclaimed rubbing her hands together vigorously "Ready to go Miss-"
"Tia."
"Right! Tia. Got it." Judy stammered at Tia's insistence. "Ready to go…Tia?"
"If it means I can leave here and live to see another day… then yes, yes I am." Tia deadpanned.
This is going to be fun. Judy grimaced behind a 'genuine' smile.
Tia followed Fenton out the door while Chief Bogo held Judy back.
"I expect constant and consistent updates." Chief Bogo looked deep into Judy's. "Ermine's gang has never hesitated to kill a cop before. They certainly won't hesitate against you. In the past maybe, because you...now is different. Now you are just another target to practice their aim with. And that young lady is traitor number one working with enemy number one."
Judy let his words sink in. This wasn't her chief officer talking to her right now. But someone she has grown to consider a friend. A friend who was concerned for her safety. She grew warm inside at his display of professionalism to hide his worry for her.
"Yes, Sir." Judy saluted before hopping off the desk to follow Tia and Fenton.
Chief Bogo watched the little rabbit leave with a heavy heart. He had grown close to the rabbit, in a professional manner, and her endearing determination to prove herself. He was always the first to admit how little he believed in her at first. But then she broke the missing mammal's case some years back. That's when he decided to try and give this determined bunny an actual chance. And she surprised him time and time again. But it didn't take a genius for him to figure out that she was getting some outside help. He just never expected it to be from him. The fox who, Chief Bogo regrets to admit, paid him to become the police chief. To this day Bogo didn't know why the fox did that nor why he was so invested in making him the police chief. So, color him surprised when he found out the fox was giving the rabbit free intel. Judy was open about the circumstances when Bogo pulled her aside one day to ask about it. It boiled down to Judy saved his life, he offered her a free favor, and it became a reappearing pattern in the young bunny cop's life. Not the 'saving the fox's life' but the continuous free favors. Then it changed one day when Judy and Bogo went to a public shoot-out. As soon as the criminals realized who they were possibly shooting at, they surrendered. And then during the questioning all basically admitted the same thing. That they'd rather rot in hell than mess with the bunny who was held in high regard with the fox. And that's when the other officers began to treat Judy differently. They began to nitpick every arrest she ever completed. Which also pissed him off as it seemed like they were judging the Chief's intelligence. He knew that Judy made every arrest by the book. Whether she did it with his expressed permission every time was another story. But Bogo knew she was a good cop. A good cop who had fallen for what many considered a necessary evil.
Judy's treatment only got worse when the "promotion" happened. Bogo had only recently gotten out from under that fox's paw. But then an email came to him in the middle of the night.
Make officer Judy Hopps into a Detective. And I'll provide the ZPD intel into any 3 gangs of your choosing. With a bonus of a generous donation to provide for better equipment at the ZPD.
The sender left no name, and the email address wasn't tracible. But Bogo knew exactly who it was just by the ending statement.
I suggest you choose wisely.
Bogo spoke to the newly appointed mayor, a wolf named Lucas Edwards, privately on the matter. And they knew it was an offer they couldn't pass. So, Bogo approached Judy and told her she was to be promoted to Detective. His heart dropped when he saw the look in the bunny's eyes. She quickly informed him that she was declining the promotion. Then patted his arm in a comforting way.
"Don't worry." She had comforted the chief of police. "I'll make sure he doesn't do anything."
After that day Hopps requested a week's leave off work. He granted it without hesitation. And waited for the possible repercussions from the fox at the failure to make Hopps a Detective. It never came. Instead, a donation was made but the gang intel offer was withdrawn. And the rabbit that came back was an entirely different being. Working harder, longer, and more difficult cases. She was trying to prove herself all over again to her colleagues. And that's when Bogo figured out that Hopps left the fox. As she was needing to spend more time on intel that use to be just handed to her like candy. Chief Bogo tried to get her to take more breaks, but she was determined, if not stubborn to prove herself worthy.
"Chief Bogo?" Clawhauser's voice emerged from the intercom.
"Clawhauser?"
"Do I need to make preparations for anything?" Clawhauser asked, hinting about the black-footed ferret and her deal.
"If Hopps needs anything give her full support." Chief Bogo answered simply.
"Yes, Sir." Clawhauser signed off.
Bogo sank back into his chair feeling the weight of the job pull on him. he used to be so young, so ignorant, of Zootopia's hidden world and hierarchy. But then it all became too real too fast. And he either had to catch up or drown under the pressure. His price to pay for catching up was small compared to many.
It's all up to you now Hopps. Chief Bogo sighed.
