Authors note: Hello everyone, my name is Valiant and I like to read, to draw and to write, I have been coming to this site and reading amazing pieces of fan-fiction for the longest time and i decided to give it a try myself, even if I have dabbled into romantic fiction before this will be my first ever work of fan-fiction and I don't want it to become an incomplete and easy to forget piece so I endeavor to work hard and finish this story. Before you start reading a couple of things to get out of the way first:

1) This story is open for review and comments from all around, I want to get my writing skills some solid ground work and every bit of support is welcome.

2) I researched and did my best so that the world would be as close to the source material as possible, if I let something slip up along the way my sincerest apologies.

3) The story will be delivered in great part as a sort of flashback so the chronologic structure can be well stablished, after the flashback portion is done the story will proceed.

4) Future chapters might contain scenes only suitable for mature audiences so reader discretion is advised.

This story is not to be used for monetary gains merely entertainment and perspective, this story is an independent work of fanfiction, I do not own Zootopia or any of its related characters, they are all a legal intellectual property of Disney. Wit all of that out of the way:

ENJOY!

( pin/652318327264392016/)= Link for cover art drawn by me as well.

The new tales from Zootopia

A romantic work of fanfiction by Valiant Vendetta

Rated (M) for the use of alcohol, smoking, violence, blood and loving scenes… for future chapters.

Good reading.

Episode 1: Zootopia now

Everyone in the city of Zootopia already knows the epic tale that shook its very foundations, the story that had been played in repeat on television, radio and inside the minds of every mammal big and small through out every district of the enthralling metropolis for months now, the story leading to the arrest of former mayor Dawn Bellwether due to the discovery of her evil plot to turn the mammals of Zootopia against one another, what most do not know, however is that there is more to the story than what was reported and shared with the population. The story truly begins with a young bunny by the name of Judy Hopps, born in the calm Town of Bunnyburrow, one among the hundreads of daughters of a couple of farmers, she had the dream of becoming the first bunny to ever earn a spot as a police officer of the ZPD, after what felt like an eternity of studies and training to attain her dreams she moved to the big city to make all of her dreams come true and make a difference, only after arriving she realized that not every aspect of Zootopia was as its many advertisements suggested. Not all animals lived in harmony within the city, there are still shifty and untrustworthy individuals scattered around every corner, case in point, Nicholas Wilde, a crafty fox who tricked the bunny officer, initially assigned as a meter maid, into buying him a gigantic popsicle for a chain of quick cash schemes. The talented con mammal, nonetheless, had his routine and beliefs turned around completely after being tricked and made to follow the courageous bunny all over town, embarquing with her on a quest that would change both their lives forever.

After finding the reported missing mammals and unearthing a massive conspiracy to subdue the predator populous of the city, the unlikely duo became the talk of all Zootopia and the best of friends, Judy Hopps became a true living legend around every single one of the precincts acquiring the respect and trust she always desired from every member of the force, as for Nick, touched by the bunny's boundless optimism, courage and overall honesty, he left his life of hustling behind and became an awarded officer of the ZPD. Some would say that this was an amazing tale of determination and loyalty worthy of a movie adaptation of the highest budget, well… most, including yours truly, sees all of it as what really is: A great story that deserves to be told many times over. Even so, the story that is about to be told right now is, in fact, so much more than a repeat of the past, it is a different perspective guided tale of love and intrigue. Let us begin.

Once again, the sun had risen over the city, all the various mammals wake up in preparation for the day ahead of them, the camels start their usual daily jog over the scorching dunes at Sahara Square, the suspended gondolas transport tourists and merchants heading deeper into the trees and paths of the Rainforest District and, inside a medium sized apartment of a modest building at Savana Central, a gray and white colored fur bunny smacks her alarm clock showing 6:30 A.M. and raises from her bed ready to eagerly start another day. She jumps out of her mattress, gives her muscles a calm and orderly stretch and heads into the shower for a warm bath, after washing her fur, drying herself out from head to toe and making sure that every thread of her uniform was in its proper place she grabbed an apple and a small box of juice from the fridge and began to enjoy breakfast, all of that with a satisfied smile on her face.

Judy moved to zootopia and started her carrier as a police officer living in a single room apartment, a place with damp walls and noisy neighbors, although, after a while and with some much needed and appreciated help, she managed to move to a much bigger place of her own, with a nice kitchen equipped with a simple, but functional, sink, an oven and a small fridge, great space on the surrounding walls for her to hang portraits and a few of her posters, ample room to exercise and stretch her legs and accommodate guests whenever she needed to do so, enough room to place a couch, a small television, a small potted plant and a book shelf by the corner where she kept all of her books and notepads, a cabinet with organized files from old cases and subjects of interest and, may haps the most important piece of them all, a bathroom of her own.

"I still cannot believe how amazing my place actually is."

She thought so as she chomped through the apple reddish exterior. Judy Hopps had been living in Zootopia for quite a while now and, thanks to her dedication and determination, her life had been gradually improving, she managed to move out of that crummy, stuffy place she used to live in and find a new, vacant apartment that resided closer to a commercial street where she could purchase food, clothes and supplies for her new home and, also had her located at a nearby street that took her straight to the precinct one building, so, she didn't need to rush over there every day and start her shift winded and unprepared, it was way easier for her. To top it all of and give her a little more ease, a few moths had passed and she had proven how capable she really was as a police officer, owning the respect of the other members of the force and granting her all the perks of an accredited operative of the ZPD, which included having access to her own police cruiser and her own archiving desk to place evidence and copious notes for any major case on the regular docket. No life changing investigations had happened since the episode involving the missing mammals and the night howler flowers, still, to her, it felt good to have such a thing just in case she needed it during any future police cappers.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and touched the internet icon to check the latest news, nothing major was going on around town, but she always made sure to stay informed and prepared before starting the day. There were no signs of significant criminal activities on the news column and, as she scrolled the page down, she found out that the singer Gazelle was going to release a new smashing hit song by the end of the week, followed by a small discussion at the gossip column about the speculation surrounding overpriced produces being sold around the Tundra Town district. Judy closed the internet application on her phone and the screen returned to the image she looked at every day and thought about at any given chance that she could get, the image of herself and her best friend, Nicholas Wilde, on the day of his graduation from the police academy. Nick, as he preferred to be called, was showing off his trade mark side smirk, holding the phone for the selfie on his right paw and standing straight with a proud spark in his eyes, while his left paw held the grinning bunny's shoulder by his left side as she placed herself right by his left side. The fox was neatily dressed in his bue uniform, same as Judy, and holding her closely to him so that the two of them could be well placed inside the picture frame. Seeing that picture always made her smile.

Nick became a member of the ZPD family thanks to no small amount of effort, grit and smarts, after a whole month of study and preparation followed by a period of six grueling months of training at the academy, the fox surprised every single one of the instructors after graduating amidst the top five spots of criminal investigation professionals, breaking the track record at the desertic portion of the obstacle course and even managing to score a perfect run at the shooting gallery which made all of their heads turn at once, all of that and so much more made sure to nail him a spot amongst the officers of precinct one and at Judy's side as her partner. Judy checked the time as to make sure that there was still a little time left before she had to go to precinct one to start her shift and take to the streets alongside Nick, it was still a bit early in the morning so she decided to sit around for a little while and relax.

Judy Laverne Hopps grew up on a farm by the extensive country side of the tri-burrow area so waking up early to get chores and other obligations done was nothing new to her, she simply adapted into a standard routine, she would get up, eat, start on a task, give her best, work it out for the rest of the day, go to sleep and start it all again on the next day. Even if she was capable and dedicated, Judy was well aware of her physical limitations, so, to compensate, she had to work three times harder than any other mammal ever had, she became stronger, faster, tougher than any other run-of-the-mill bunny around in a constant effort to be acknowledged as a true force to be reckoned with, and, in the end, all of those long sleepless nights of study and those long mornings of tiresome training paid off in spades as she graduated with high honors and valedictorian at her class. After a while of meandering through her thoughts, Judy took one last look at the clock and saw that it was already getting rather late, she did one final check to certify that she was taking everything that she needed for the day:

"Let's see here: Got my keys, wallet, note pad, magnifying glass, paw cuffs…"

After making sure that everything was in order, Judy walked out the door, locked it tight behind her, walked by the hallway, got down a small flight of stairs and exited the building, she took a quick survey around the street, her little violet eyes swiftly moving left and right as she caught glimpses of the movement starting to grown on the streets, cars passing by and mammals of all sizes walking by on their ways, she loved this feeling. The rush of everyday and the sensation of the world dashing pass her, the feeling of every life that passed by on the path to her job becoming better and brighter, made her feel like she felt back in her home town, but around here, on the streets of Zootopia, she was much more than a smart bunny that came from a carrot farm, she was making a difference in the lives of everyone around her just by caring for their safety, just by being there ready and willing to help anyone in need. With her head held high, her little cotton tail shaking from side to side as she hopped along the sidewalk and a little hum on her lips, Judy made her way to precinct one, anxious and ready to see what the day was going to toss her way.

In the meantime, inside a modest apartment building located by the west side of the main Savana district, another alarm clock was ringing in a small room by the second floor and abruptly pushing a red furred fox away from a peaceful dream, his paw slams down on the alarm clock button and he takes a glance at the digital screen showing 7:00 A.M. sharp, the fox raises his body at a snail's pace from the mattress and stretches his muscles to wake himself up properly while hearing the subtle cricking of his bones, Nick was not a morning mammal, that's for sure, even so, he made a sizeable effort so that his body would gradually adapt to waking up early in the morning, and yet, after so many months of training, he was still not used to it.

With his body still struggling to move away from a state of deep sleep, Nick gets up, goes to the bathroom and hops inside the shower box, he turns the valves into a nice position and adjusts the water temperature right into a warm, comfortable setting, it was a chore to wash and comb all of his fur every single time he took a bath, Nick had to apply the right dose of shampoo so that he would be clean from the tip of his ears to the end of his swooshing tail. After the bath was done he dried himself out with a big towel tied around his waist line and a blow-dryer, which was carefully placed by the bathroom sink, he brushed his teeth and, with all of his morning preparations finished, the fox adjusts the fur on top of his head and, as a finishing touch, launches a confident smirk to his reflection in the mirror, full of himself the only thought that crosses his mind is:

"Looking good Wilde. Looking good!"

Nick walks out of his room with a heavy and chipper pace, he opens the fridge and takes a check of all of its contents, not much inside, a few cans of beer, some strawberries inside a little plastic container, a piece of blueberry pie enfolded in a thin layer of plastic and a half full bottle of milk.

"Note to self: Make shopping list for later."

Nick picks up the bottle of milk and places the piece of the pie inside the microwave so it would reheat, he proceeds to sit and slouch his body on a nearby chair and places his hind paws over the frame of the round, wooden dinner table, he releases a heavy sigh and proceeds to take a few long swigs from the milk bottle in his grasp. After the bottle is empty it crosses his mind that with the excitement of the last couple of days, he didn't get much time to go out grocery shopping, there was his graduation, then Judy came along to visit his mother's house, there was that night to celebrate officially becoming a cop alongside Finn…

"Sheesh! That night was a disaster if there ever was one!"

The fox shook the unpleasant thoughts from two nights ago that threatened to invade his mind, that would've put him down, he didn't need that, he passed both of his paws over his head and got up from the chair to check up on the slice of pie that was made to be his breakfast, Nick retrieved the plate from the microwave and started to gobble down the pie, as his mouth watered with the taste of the treat being mushed between his fangs, his eyes diverted to a portrait over one of the shelves in his apartment, after he was done eating he crossed the living room to catch a better look at the picture that Judy had specially printed, framed and given to him. The photo was of himself and his bunny friend on the very same day that he departed to go to the ZPD academy. The depiction of his side grin as he held a neatly packed duffle bag over his right shoulder and his bunny friend whom he was embracing closely on his left side, as he kneeled himself down to place himself closer to her height and put his arm around her to pull her closer for a surprise hug which did not wiped out her smile as her cheek was smooshed closer to his when the picture was taken. Seeing her smile, seeing those little violet jewels and that adorable grin contracting those puffy cheeks of hers filled his chest with confidence, with the hope that even a shifty fox like him could, actually, make a difference for the better, for himself and everyone around him.

Nicholas Pliberius Wilde used to be just another smug, furry face in the crowd, an untrust worthy conmammal that made money out of the gullible passer byes and easy to fool beings that crossed the busy streets and crosswalks of Zootopia, he had been living in that city since the day he was born and he knew every back alley and shortcut that could help him get around and then get out of a tricky situation, he could trick a poor, honest living soul out of his or her money in an instant and, just as fast, disappear in the middle of the busy parks, junctions, and avenues that crisscrossed all over the ever growing concrete maze, he was rather proud of all that. He was too skilled for any petty criminal to keep tabs on and too smart for any common cop to catch him, or so he thought.

On a day that should have gone like any other he got a taste of his own medicine when the young bunny meter-maid that he had tricked just a day before showed up and tricked him into confessing a huge slip in his hustling façade. He was pretty much blackmailed into helping her solve a case, he almost lost his life twice in the same day, once when he was almost iced by the crime boss that he managed to piss off after one major misunderstanding and on the second time by almost being violently mauled by a savage panther, and yet, by some weird stroke of luck or something else entirely new to him, that honest and determined bunny, saved his life on both occasions.

It was still so hard to believe to him, a bunny and a fox, two creatures that have almost nothing in common, working together, trusting each other, shattering expectations. Unfortunately for Nick, just as he was getting comfortable on the chair, his serene line of thought was interrupted as his eyes snagged a look at the old plastic clock on the wall next to him showing that it was already past seven o'clock in the morning.

"Damn! I'm gonna be late again! I best be going otherwise carrots will really let me have it!"

With the outmost haste Nick darted towards his closet and got dressed in his police uniform, he grabbed his keys and his wallet, both resting over a wooden stand besides the front door of his apartment, he locked the door behind him and went on his way. After exiting the red brick building were his humble abode was located Nick saw how busy the streets have gotten, his ears moved from side to side as they detected all the sounds forming and mixing together around him, wave after wave of mammals of all shapes and sizes crossed his path, he slipped past each and every one without losing the momentum from his run towards work, he kept opening way over the sidewalk until, a couple of minutes later, the fox stopped brusquely in front of the display window of a coffee shop where he saw his reflection once more projected by the glistening glass, he did a quick once over on himself, moving his eyes up and down to see if there was anything out of place and gently passing his paws over the wrinkles on his uniform, he looked upwards and saw that this particular coffee shop was a snarlbucks, his choice for a hot and satisfactory shot of caffeine before the morning rush, he checked the time on his phone and decided that there was still a little time to grab a cup and head for the station, he entered the shop with a casual pace, ignoring the looks of estrangement that the other mammals around were shooting his way, it was still hard for most mammals to believe that there existed a fox amongst the ZPD ranks now, and got closer to the counter where a slim looking moose asked of him:

- Can I help you sir?

Nick took a breath and answered with a nonchalant tone of voice:

- Sure, I would like a big cup of Galt's expresso, two sugars, please.

The moose went on to prepare the fox's order with no objection or inquiry, Nick leaned against the tall counter to wait, he checked the small chalk board of prices on the wall and saw something rather intriguing, a drawing of a little happy bunny near one of the drink names, he called the attention of the moose behind the counter once more and asked:

- Do you recommend any special drinks for bunnies?

- Ugh! Where is he?

Judy was already near the front doors of precinct one, anxiously tapping her foot down on the base of the steps leading to the huge glass doors and impatiently checking the time as her partner became increasingly late to their shift, she decided to get inside already and await for Nick indoors, Judy always felt some sort of spark igniting within her every time she passed by the doors of the huge monument to law and order carved into the mount at the heart of Savana Central, Zootopia Police Department precinct one. As soon as she got close to the front doors, she was saluted by an elephant adjusting her uniform and walking out with heavy steps, getting ready for her own patrol shift:

- Hi there Hopps. How are you doing?

- Hey Francine. I'm fine. Stay safe out there.

The elephant's answer was showing off a hurried sign of attention and, immediately after, turning her sight back forward as she made her hurried way on to the streets. Judy copiously entered the precinct and felt the relief of the air conditioner hitting her fur, it was warmer outside then the day before, that tends to happen in Zootopia sometimes, with all of the ecosystem at play and making the city the temperature fluctuated constantly during most hours of the day, especially around precinct one which was located smackdab in the heart of the metropolis. At this point in time Judy was familiarized with all of the works inside the precinct and she already knew all of the other officers under that roof by name and reputation, as she walked in the direction of the front counter bearing the ZPD logo she could see the other officers talking with one another, organizing their tasks for the day and getting ready for their shifts, there was Grizzolli with his deep voice and thoroughly organized case files that he kept close by just in case there were any discrepancies in the reports, Wolford, always looking to be the first officer to prove a point, even if he was dead wrong about it, Delgato, always adjusting his huge mane of hair and also regarded as the best shooting mammal of the force, Fangmeyer, the female tiger with an unmatched sense of duty and often spoken as the bravest mammal of the entire police force, and, of course, Benjamin Clawhauser, the giddy cheetah working by the front desk, he was there chowing down on his bowl of cereal when he saw the bunny skipping in his direction:

- Judy! What's up?!

- Hi, Benjamin.

The chubby cheetah put the empty bowl away, wiped his muzzle with the palm of his left paw, just in case there was some vestige of food on them, and leaned over the front desk counter, watching as Judy stopped right in front of it to properly cumpriment him, she got on the tip of her hind paws to appear a tad taller and talk with him, she reached over the counter and asked:

- I didn't know you were back already. How did your trip go?

- Oh, it was just incredible! My cousin Leanna and I went to see the hills by the east of the estate's frontier and IT… WAS… GORGEOUS! I am going to send you a few pictures that I took with her, I had so much fun! I already got TONS of likes on Muzzlebook!

Judy smiled and her nose twitched for a second as she let out a little sigh and looked at her watch once more, her face returned to a look of worry after seeing the clock run even later than she imagined previously, and her partner was still nowhere to be found. Benjamin, naturally curious, decided to ask with a cheeky tone of voice:

- Expecting someone?

Judy let her arm down and looked at Benjamin with a bit of disappointment in her eyes:

- Yes, Nick should have arrived by now. This is the third day in a row that he manages to get here late. He seems to have a thing for being fashionably late to anywhere he goes. You could have met him if you stuck around for a little bit longer, but you went on your trip on the same day he started at the force.

Benjamin clapped his paws together and asked with a voice of excitement:

- Oh, I finally get to meet the famous fox that you talked so much about these past months.

Judy's face got red immediately after hearing that, she attempted to argue and clarify that the statement made by the cheetah was wrong, poorly:

- I… don't talk about him… that much!

Benjamin laughed and spoke up:

- Yeah, not that much. Just at *every* opportunity you get.

Judy was a tad embarrassed on that moment, her ears were warm and both of them came down to her back after hearing Clawhauser's voice putting some emphasis on the frequency of her talks about Nick, she placed her fingers between one another as her mind looked for a reasonable explanation:

- Fine, so… maybe, I mentioned him a lot these past few months. But it is only because I have the outmost respect for him as an officer, I also think that he is a really nice guy and I want you both to get along once you finally meet.

Clawhowser placed his right elbow over the counter and leaned his head over his right paw as he got comfortable to hear one more time Judy's speech about the fox that overcame many odds to become her partner at the ZPD:

- Nick is everything that a good officer should be and then some, excluding the times when he can be sort of a nuisance. He helped me uncover the truth about the night-howlers case and has been the best friend and partner I could ask for ever since. He prepared and trained so hard to get into the academy and I am so glad that he got to be amongst the top five graduates, I was so proud of him. Sure, he can be a little annoying and skittish from time to time, but he is also smart and strong, and he has such a great way of talking with other…

On that moment she glanced at the cheetah's face and realized that he was inches away from bursting into a fit of laughter, it took her a while to understand why he was making that face, biting his lower lip, puffing his cheeks and squinting his eyes as his smile only grew more and more. Judy's left ear twitched to the side and her mouth launched a sigh as she asked with an unenthusiastic tone:

- He is standing right behind me, isn't he?

The deep, slick voice of the vulpine came from behind her seconds later in response to that question:

- Don't let that stop you. You already struck oil, but, by all means, keep digging!

Judy turned her body around and met eyes with the slim, strong looking figure of the fox that teased her to no end every single day holding two cups of coffee in his paws and an amusing look on his muzzle, the same fox that helped and encouraged her countless times before, the same fox that always managed to put a smile on her face even in the most distressing and monotonous of times. She checked his uniform for a quick second to confirm if it was all in order, she turned her head slightly up to look at the green, piercing eyes of the fox and speak with him:

- You're late slick.

- Well, good morning to you too carrots.

Benjamin checked the fox from top to bottom and studied every visual aspect that he could see and make sure if he was truly everything Judy spoke him out to be, only after a few seconds he realized one important thing:

- Did he… just call you "carrots"?!

Judy raised her paw and answered with an unenthusiastic:

- It's kind of our thing. Nick likes to give silly names to everyone he meets.

Nick raised his muzzle and pointed a finger up as he explained that important aspect about himself with a clear objection to Judy's answer:

- You are incorrect on your statement fluff. I don't give silly names to everyone I meet. Just the mammals I respect. You should feel honored.

Judy laughed while launching her eyes up in face of the fox's logic, she didn't mind being called by those names if it all came from Nick, sometimes it was "fluff", various other times it was "carrots", on some occasions he called her "officer toot-toot", he called her in different, good-humored ways, granted, he meant no disrespect by any of it, to him it was just fun to call her those ways, at first, he talked to her like that in an attempt to get her flustered just because he thought it was funny to see her frustrated face directed at him, even so, as time went on, he kept calling out and talking to her using nicknames so many times it ended up catching on and it just did not bother her anymore, like it did when they first met. Then again it could also be the fact that Nick used those silly names so often that it made those rare occasions when he called Judy by her actual name extra special. Judy turned her body in both directions to properly introduce Clawhauser to the cheeky fox:

- Anyway, Clawhauser, this is Nicholas Wilde, my partner and the first fox officer in the force. Nick, this is Benjamin Clawhauser, he works at the front desk and is the friendliest face you will ever find here at the precinct.

Nick placed the two coffee cups he was bringing with him over the front desk and got on the tip of his hind paws as he reached over the front desk counter and shook paws with the cheetah, Clawhauser spoke up:

- It's so nice to finally meet you.

To which Nick responded in a friendly manner:

- Pleasure to meet you. Gazelle fan, right?

Nick said so as he pointed a claw to a ceramic mug with the picture of the famous singer placed over a small pile of police files over the table, Benjamin picked the mug and carefully showed it off as if he was one of those whimsy mammals selling products on television:

- I got this beauty at a convention here in town a while back! Isn't Gazelle just the best?!

Nick adjusted his tie to the side and answered while still giving a certain flair to his own image:

- I am not much of a fan of her latest singles, but I am rather fond of her first albums. Like… the one with the song: "Wish you the best of it all".

Benjamin launched a cute squeal and launched a retort with a shreaky voice:

- Oh, I so get that! That song is still on my favorite playlist to this day!

Judy had a satisfied smile stamped on her face and an air of easiness in her chest, she knew Nick had a magnetic personality, if he could stand the effort he was able and willing to make friends with any mammal he encountered, she poked Nick's shoulder to call his attention after only then noticing that he was bringing two plastic coffee cups to work with him, she spoke with a touch of concern:

- I often see you carrying around a cup of coffee like this, but two of them?! All this caffeine cannot be healthy for you.

Nick picked the cups over Benjamin's desk and turned around to face his partner with a rather serious look over his muzzle, he took a breath and answered:

- Carrots, listen, I am a fox. My natural instinct is to party all night and sleep until past noon. Every fiber of my being is begging me to go back home and jump back to bed. If you want me out there smart and alert, I am going to need at least a small dose of coffee coursing through my system. Which reminds me…

Judy crossed her arms and watched as Nick reached to the smaller cup of the pair he had brought to the station and showed it to his partner saying with care:

- Here, I brought you this one.

Judy shook her paws slightly from side to side and politely decline it:

- Nick, thanks but, no thanks. I don't drink coffee.

- Yeah, I thought as much. That is why I got you a decaf.

Judy slowly reached to the cup and held it in her paws after Nick made a motion with his paw insisting that she grabbed the cup he was presenting to her, she looked at it, not sure if she should drink it or not until Nick took some time to explain his actions:

- The guy at the coffee shop called it a… 'pumpkin jamoka'. Said it was quite the popular choice amongst "lagomorphs". Which, I just found out, it is a fancy way of saying bunnies.

After understanding how much thought the fox had put into it with a touch of skepticism, Judy decided to take a chance and try on a single sip of the hot beverage in her paws. She placed the cup close to her lips and her nose twitched as she got a few sniffs of the air to instinctively try and identify any smell that she might had known as familiar, even not being able to identify any recognizable smell, she placed the border of the cup on her lips and reached a verdict after a single gulp:

- Wow! This is quite nice actually! It's so sweet… and warm! I love it!

As Judy kept delighting her pallet with the newly discovered beverage, Nick gave a gracious bow before boasting:

- And once again, ladies and gentle-mammals, Nicholas Wilde manages to deliver a brighter day by just being himself, in other words: Awesome.

Judy laughed by covering her mouth with her free paw and stopping herself from spilling any of the liquid in her mouth, but her joy was cut rather short as she looked at the time and noticed that it was almost eight o'clock, she swallowed the swig that she just had in a hurry and yelled:

- Oh, Turnips! We're going to be late! Nick, we have to go, now! Move!

Nick didn't bother walking a single step, he only stated:

- You know, I think it is absolutely adorable and hilarious when you try to swear. Are you physically incapable of actual swearing?

- Nick, just move already!

Judy got behind Nick and started shoving him with both paws so he would get moving to the bull pen, with the unusual strength of the bunny pushing him onwards Nick could only say:

- Ow! Easy fluff! You don't need to shove! I'm going! I'm going!

Before entering the far-off hallway, Nick turned around and yelled:

- It was a pleasure to meet you Benjamin!

Benjamin got up from his chair and yelled in return:

- The pleasure was all mine! Bye!

As Nick and Judy went on to receive their assignments for the day, Benjamin sat down and started on organizing the files that needed to be accessed for the day ahead. While he was lost in the task a medium sized wolf approached the front desk and cumprimented the cheetah:

- What sup Clawhauser?

- Hey there Wolford!

- So, did you meet the fox already?

- Oh, you mean Nick? Yes, he is nice.

Officer Wolford leaned on the front desk and crossed his arms before saying:

- Yeah, he's pretty nice, also really funny. What do you think of those two working together?

Benjamin thought for a little while and answered:

- I think they look absolutely adorable together. Why do you ask?

- Meh, no real reason, I just overheard some mammals around the precinct and out of it saying that those two were not gonna be a nice pairing as partners, but Hopps was quite insistent on having him as a partner and I haven't seen much evidence of a rift between them just yet. Unless, of course, you count the fact that he has been working here for about three days and there hasn't been one instant when he hasn't quit teasing or annoying Hopps or the chief.

- I noticed that. But Hopps didn't seem to mind it that much, I think that it shows off a nice part of the dynamic that they have going on between them.

Wolford launched a single laugh in the air after hearing that and spoke:

- Yeah, Grizzolli and I have a bet to see how much it takes for Hopps to kick his ass! You want in? I'm betting that she rips that smug grin out of his muzzle by the end of the month!

Benjamin launched a gasp and objected to Wolford's thought:

- Geez! I didn't mean that kind of dynamic Wolford! I meant that they have… something else!

- What? What do you mean?

Wolford asked while raising an inquisitive brow at Clawhauser, Benjamin answered:

- I'm not really sure, but I think I will soon find out.

After they were done talking, Wolford left in the direction of the assembly room where all the others were heading without a clear understanding of what Benjamin was referring to. Meanwhile Nick and Judy were on their way to the call out room on the station's first floor, the big room where officers awaited to receive their assignments for the day and get important details about long going cases, the space that the police mammals of precinct one affectionally refer to as "The bull pen", in honor of the harsh acting, but also well intentioned, chief of police Bogo. The bunny was the first one to enter the room with the fox right behind her, Judy opened the door and checked around to see if Bogo had arrived, she heard the sounds of the other officers talking and messing around and was relieved to see that the chief wasn't inside the room just yet. She moved inside and quickly hopped on her seat right at the front row of the bull pen, Nick didn't reach the seat just as fast as his partner, he just walked on by the middle of the room at a calm pacing, stopping to say a friendly hello to the other officers, as he got to the front row where Judy was sitting he asked her to scooch over and give him some room to sit down as well, since he and Judy were the smallest mammals in the force they had to share a chair, not that either of them minded it.

Judy finished sipping on the drink that Nick bought for her and placed the empty cup aside, she placed her paws over the table and started to franticly tap her nails over the wooden surface in anticipation for the day ahead, Nick was playing it cool as always, he took one last sip from his cup and placed it close to him so he could toss it away later, he turned his head slightly to the right and saw the bunny's expression as she bounced rapidly over the chair for a couple of seconds, he directed his eyes forward and asked with an audible whisper:

- Excited?

- Very!

Judy looked at Nick, already getting comfortable over his half of the seat, she called his attention by tapping his chest and placing her left paw up, waiting for an answer and a friendly bump asking the fox:

- You ready to make the world a better place, partner?

Nick released a humorous puff of air from his nostrils and raised his paw to give the bunny's fist a soft bump and say with confidence:

- You know it carrots.

With their friendly sympathies exchanged, and their spirits ready and willing, Nick and Judy were prepared to start another day, the room heard officer Higgins yelling out his customary "Ten-hut" and the side door of the bull pen opening, the chief entered with a small stack of red files under his arm. Another day of law enforcement was awaiting to begin. The mammals in the room saluted the chief who kept his cool on his way to the podium, as soon as he got there the whole room became engulfed in silence, the enormous caped buffalo placed the red files over the podium and spoke with his thunderous voice:

- Good morning everyone, I see we are ready to begin. First item on the docket is a light one. Today marks the official two-year anniversary of the mammal inclusion initiative, the very same pompous program from city hall that gave us many new opportunities for jobs and, of course, our first bunny officer.

Every mammal in the room gave Judy a rowdy shout and a small round of applause, even Nick who was sitting right besides her clapped his paws in a soft and inconspicuous manner. Judy got a little embarrassed but also happy to see that she was appreciated among her peers, Bogo passively waved his hooves in the air to calm everyone down:

- Alright, settle down. In face of such a "special" occasion the mayor's office gave us the chance to make a little get together to celebrate, food, drinks, music, the whole shebang.

The officers in the bull pen became excited, until Bogo gave the follow up:

- Unfortunately for you, because I do not care for any parties, also because this idea is not approved by the other precincts and the files show that this was not placed on our budget for this month, we are not going to do it.

The entire room released a long sigh of disappointment, Nick lowered his head over the table in front of him and spoke in an audible mutter:

- Aw, and I was going to be in charge of the confetti.

- SHUT YOUR GOB WILDE!

Nick loved to aggravate chief Bogo in some way with his witty comments, the other officers gave a small laugh but not Judy, she placed her paw on her face and placed her ears down as if she was trying to hide her massive blush to no effect, Nick showed off a little grin and the chief continued his talk after releasing a gruff snarf of warm air from his nose:

- In any case, we have a few reports of unauthorized cargo reaching the docks by Tundra Town, the chief from precinct seven said that no confirmation was made about the nature of the cargo, but a group of suspicious looking mammals was spotted retrieving some of the unauthorized cargo and fleeing into the city before anyone could apprehend them, for some reason the packages made right past the embargo officials and they could use some help, this takes top spot on our to do list for the day. Assignments:

Bogo placed his glasses over his muzzle and opened another of the red files to assign each of the officers to their respective tasks:

- Officers Andersen, Delgato and Snarlov, you are heading for Tundra Town's docks to give a paw to the officers of precinct seven in spotting any unusual or unreported cargo, be thorough on your search.

The officers that were called raised from their chairs and picked their dossiers for the task, Bogo proceeded:

- Officers Wolford, Fangmeyer, Galt, Higgins, you will take some patrol rounds around the entrance of the rain forest to see if there are any other reports of suspicious activities and/or illicit traits going through there, if you find anything worth taking notes contact the officers of precinct five and then us. Do not engage or make the call without being 100% sure.

- You got it Chief!

Bogo continued after the wolf snagged the file from his hoof:

- Wilde, Hopps, you will be in charge of joining on the patrol over at the edge of Savana Central with Tundra Town, enclosed are a list of vehicles that were sighted leaving the east side docks according to the surveillance team from Tundra Town, so Keep your eyes peeled for any sighting of whoever is handling these packages and howl on the radio if you spot anything worth a look. The rest of you get to the usual patrol routes, dismissed.

Judy grabbed the file with the important data about their assignment and started to walk out of the bull pen, Nick raised from the chair after certifying that the bunny had the data she needed safely in her paws, he followed right behind her as she was heading for the door of the bull pen, as soon as they were outside she slowed her pacing down for a bit and positioned herself right besides Nick so she could give his right arm a noticeable hit:

- OW!

Nick yelled and passed his left paw over the struck portion of his arm before turning to the bunny and asking:

- What in the hell carrots?! What was that for?

- For making a fool of yourself in front of everyone… AGAIN! Seriously Nick, why do you do it?!

- I was kind of wandering the same thing. It can't be just for shits and giggles.

The fox and the bunny heard the voice of the wolf officer as he came walking their way, Wolford calmly approached them and proceeded to ask right to the fox:

- Why do you do it Wilde? The chief already complains about stress on a daily basis with the new mayor getting all up in his face about the budget leading up to the improvements for the precinct and now he's got you to raise his blood pressure even more because of your constant tomfoolery. I mean, you are aware that he can either fire you or tear you in half, right?

Nick adjusted his tie for a half second before speaking:

- At this point is a game. If ol' buffalo butt gives in, I win, and he knows it.

Wolford busted out in laughter while Judy sighed and face pawed herself when faced with her partner's silliness. The wolf's ears twitched a couple of seconds after his laugh ceased as he heard Fangmeyer's voice calling to him from the hallway to the right of the main hall leading to the supply room, he went on his way while giving Nick and Judy a small wave of goodbye. Judy walked while beginning the thorough reading of the file in her paws, with her ears in cautious alert moving from side to side just in case someone else walked in front of her while most of her sight was focused on the words and images contained in the file. Nick caught a few glimpses of the words inside the file and of her little violet eyes as they slid over the text in her paws, he followed her close until they were right in front of a door that had a metal plaque reading "Car Pool" embedded on its frame, the fox walked ahead with a swift and long step and placed himself by the door leading to the big garage underground with all the police cruisers, he opened the door and gave his partner passage with a cordial paw gesture:

- After you… officer Hopps.

Judy smiled without taking her eyes from the files and sad:

- Get a move on slick, we have work to do.

After they entered the garage and hoped inside their cruiser their patrol shift officially started on a real high note. Both of them got to their cruiser and went on to patrol the streets of Zootopia in what was sure to be another great day for them both.

Authors note: Well... that was the first chapter, as i said before the next part will begin the flashback for Nick and Judy's differing perspectives, it will drag along for a few chapters but I am sure it will be worth it. Shout out to all of the readers who visit this site and to the story "Two against the world" by TheRedPanda which was a huge influence for this work, keep it cool and see you all next time.