"Yup, that there's a busted engine."

Judy suppressed a thump of irritation and rolled her eyes at the mechanic rummaging through the depths of Nick's still inoperable car. The bird paid her no mind as he freed himself from the engine block and wiped his wings clean on his already stained jumpsuit.

"You know, you'd be surprised at all the little ways something can break," the mechanic said, tugging thoughtfully at a small tuft of feathers that resembled a goatee under his beak. "All it takes is for a small thing from the outside to get caught somewhere unexpected, and the whole thing can come apart."

Judy tried to suppress a pained sigh. She felt Nick nudge her shoulder and lean over slightly to murmur, "Get a load of the folksy wisdom guy over here. This feels like the start of a Stephen Wing novel. Oh, we should ask him about the pet cemetery!"

The doe brought a paw up to cover a snicker and playfully punched Nick in the side. He always had a way of finding just the right thing to say to make her laugh.

"Even after years of fixin' something, you can still learn a lot about it when it breaks in a new way," the mechanic mused, beginning to stow his tools back onto the toolbelt around his waist. "But you're in luck - I'm pretty sure this can be fixed."

"That's great, Pops," Nick said, wearing his trademark easy smile. "Any idea on when we can expect her to be functional?"

"Hmmph," the mechanic grumbled. "No sense in rushing these kinds of things. More important to do the job right than to do it quick. It'll be done when it's done."

Nick and Judy shared a quick glance. The duo had enough experience dealing with some of Zootopia's more eccentric citizens to know that sometimes you just had to let them ramble on and say their peace before you could properly deal with them.

"So… let's call that, what - a few days? A week?" Nick asked.

"Something like that. Could be longer, could be shorter. Like I said, it'll be done when it's done."

The thump that Judy's leg had been struggling to keep contained finally burst free, her foot letting out a rapid series of taps on the hardened concrete.

Nick recognized the anger that was brewing within his partner. The fox rested a paw on her shoulder before she was able to make her displeasure more overtly known.

"Whelp, thanks for taking a look on such short notice," Nick began. "Can't be easy being the only gearhead in town."

The mechanic chuckled gruffly. "Oh, I ain't no gearhead. I'm just the janitor."

"The… janitor?" Judy asked with a raised brow.

"Yup - I do fixits n' such."

The bird continued organizing his tools like what he'd just said wasn't strange in the slightest.

"Uh, sure… anyway…" Nick said with a short cough. "Whenever you do manage to get it running, we're gonna be staying over at the Empty Nest. You'll give 'em a call once everything's shipshape?"

"Mmh hmph," he muttered with a nod. Without skipping a beat, the perplexing bird pulled off the drill from his toolbelt and grabbed a can of soda sitting on a nearby cart. He then proceeded to place the tip of the drill onto the can and spun the bit for a good second, creating a clean but small hole just above the tab. Bringing the opening to the tip of his beak, the bird took a quick sip from his carbonated drink and smacked his beak in satisfaction.

"Okaaay, sounds good," the fox said with some haste, using the paw that still rested upon Judy's shoulder to nudge her in the direction of the door. She didn't attempt to protest.

Once the two officers were outside the gas station's garage and safely out of earshot, they each shared a quick snicker.

"Geez, you weren't kidding when you said 'small-town weird' was a thing did you, Fluff?"

"No kidding. I'm surprised he didn't pull out a tin-foil hat towards the end there!"

As the pair's giggling faded, their expressions became more somber. For a moment nothing but the open air hung between them.

"So… I guess we're stuck for a hot minute, huh?" Nick asked.

"Looks like it," Judy said before letting out a sigh. "Of all the rotten luck…"

"Hey, look on the bright side! Better to be stuck here than in the middle of nowhere. Though by the looks of it, we aren't that far off…"

"Heh heh, I suppose we aren't - has your phone managed to find a signal yet?"

The fox quickly pulled out his phone. "Not-a-one," he replied as he slid the device back into his pocket.

"Same. Ah cripes, Bogo isn't going to like this."

"Oh come on, what's the big guy gonna do? Drive through the night all the way out here just to reprimand us for a little tardiness?"

"At least then we'd have a ride back home…"

Nick watched as Judy's ears lost all motivation to stay perked upright and fell behind her head.

"Hey now - chin up, Carrots. I want to get back to the city just as much as you, but let's try to stay in good spirits. Hows about we treat all this like an involuntary extension to our vacation, eh? The B&B's probably got a landline, so we'll give the Chief a call in the morning."

Judy chuckled and shot him a warm smile.

"Not often that it's you telling me to be more optimistic…"

"Don't get used to it, sweetheart," Nick replied with a wink.

Without another word, the two officers resumed an easy pace towards the front of the gas station and back towards the police cruiser that had brought them here.

Officer Molly had offered to drive Nick and Judy to the bed and breakfast once they were done at the mechanics. As the pair walked up to Molly's cruiser, they could see her leaning on the open driver's side door and listening to the radio.

Nick saw Judy's long ears twitch and swivel slightly to try and make out what was being said.

"Something about a 10-57," Judy said after a second. "Hard to make out much else."

Nick frowned. Assuming that the Deep Hollow County Sheriff's department used the same codes as the ZPD, that either referred to a hit and run accident or a missing person. Either way, Molly was clearly not pleased to hear about it; she sighed heavily and rubbed at her eyes wearily.

"Rough day?" Nick asked as he and Judy stepped up to the car.

Molly blinked some fatigue out of her eyes and smiled wanly. "You could say that."

"Was there a bad accident or something?" Judy asked.

Molly shook her head. "No, we're just … the department's pretty understaffed at the moment, so we're all stretched pretty thin."

Nick and Judy shared a look.

"Well shoot," Judy said. "We don't want to be a burden. I'm sure we can find a taxi to-"

"No no," Molly interrupted. "It's really fine. I was on my way home after my shift anyway, and it's no trouble. Honestly, it was a nice change of pace."

"Well we can't thank you enough," Nick said. "We'll get out of your fur as soon as we can."

Molly opened the door to the back of the cruiser and the fox and rabbit climbed in. As she slid into the driver seat Molly asked, "So how's the damage?"

Nick shrugged. "It's fixable, apparently. I dunno, the uh … mechanic was being a bit cryptic."

"Yeah, he's always been like that," Molly said. "But he does good work, I can vouch for that much. Keeps our cruisers on the road, at least."

"I hope so. In any case, it seems like we'll be staying in town for at least a couple days."

Nick looked down to where Judy sat next to him. Her ears hung limp, and she idly played with the tip of one. He reached out and took one of her paws in his, smiling when the rabbit readily accepted it and leaned against his side. Nick could tell she was still frustrated about the day's events and made a mental note to reassure her when they had a moment to themselves.

"Well if you folks are going to be in town for a bit, I'd love to invite you to dinner at my sister's tomorrow night," Molly said. "I already checked with her, and she's happy to host you. We normally end up with plenty of leftovers anyway, so we might as well share."

Judy looked up to Nick, who shrugged. She nodded her assent.

"Well that's awful kind of you, Molly," Nick said. "We might just take you up on that."


The ride to the Empty Nest passed fairly quietly. Nick idly looked out the window at the rolling, densely wooded hills as they drove, and Judy seemed content to relax against him. Periodically a voice chirped on the dash radio of the cruiser; most of it was the normal chatter they expected to hear, though Nick and Judy distinctly noted at least two more officers on the radio mentioning 10-57s.

Judy's curiosity was certainly piqued. 10-57s were not exactly uncommon in Zootopia, but they were generally traffic accidents not missing persons. She couldn't help but wonder what was going on in this town.

The rabbit shifted in her seat. Whatever was going on, she probably shouldn't worry about it. Molly seemed like a perfectly capable officer. If the rest of the department was anything like her, then Possum Springs was sure to be in good hands. Still, Judy's well trained cop-intuition was tingling like a sixth sense. Stealing a glance at Nick she saw tiny, almost imperceptible twists and contortions in his usual half-lidded smile. Hardly noticeable to the average person, but Judy knew the fox like no other; he was thinking about chatter the same as her.

Leaves continued to swirl around the cruiser's wake as they drove down the road. Her thoughts turned back to Bunnyburrow; the Carrot Day's festival was done and the year's harvest officially complete, so it was just a matter of time before the serene oranges and browns shifted into the cold grays and whites of a long winter. Judy found the transitory period between autumn and winter annoying. It was cold enough that you needed to start to layer up, but without any of the snow around for the little ones - and the young at heart - to play in.

The seasons did little to affect them back in Zootopia. Tundratown remained covered in snow during the most heated summers, and it was always shorts weather in Sahara Square. Out in the country it was different - they didn't have a multi-billion dollar climate wall to keep the temperature in check. People were completely at the mercy of mother nature. Fortunately the last few days hadn't required them to wear anything more than a light jacket and some layers, but that was sure to change soon. It was a good thing that they'd both packed a heavy coat in case of any surprise cold fronts.

Judy had always loved the snow when she was a kit. The way it evenly covered all around it and made the rolling hills of Bunnyburrow seem to stretch even further into infinity than they already did. The novelty had worn off a tad due to her new life in Zootopia where a perpetual wonderland of ice and snow was just a short tram ride away. Still, she looked forward to the season all the same.

It did help that Nick's fur got about twice as fluffy during the winter months, and this would be the first year she'd been able to take a more "paws-on" inspection of his rugged coat as it came in. They'd been spending a lot of time patrolling the warmer districts of the city, so Nick's coat had only started coming a few weeks ago. He was definitely looking scruffier, and Judy wished she'd remembered to pack the set of brushes she'd ordered in anticipation of the season, much to Nick's bemusement.

The cluster of houses that they drove past were very different from widely spaced warrens of her hometown. They seemed modeled after the suburbs back in the city, though they didn't stretch for nearly as long. What few animals Judy did see wandering the streets were varied in size and species, though she had yet to spot anything larger than a horse.

Eventually, Molly's cruiser came to a stop outside a charming three-floored townhouse that sat across the street from a series of taller apartment buildings. An ornate wooden sign hung from a post just past the sidewalk; The Empty Nest.

"Whelp, here we are," Molly said, her arm resting on the open window and Nick and Judy gathered their bags and stepped out into the open air. "It ain't the Palm Hotel, but it has its charms. Deborah and Charlie will treat you two right, don't you worry."

"We really appreciate the assistance, Molly," Judy said, pulling her suitcase out of the back of the cruiser. " I don't know where we'd be now if you hadn't come along."

"Probably hitchhiking off the freeway, I'd wager," Nick joked. "Thanks a million, Molly."

"No problem. Glad I could give you two a warm 'Possum Springs' welcome!" the cat said bashfully. "If you'd like, I could take you back to the mechanic tomorrow morning to check up on your car."

Nick and Judy turned to each other, briefly searching the other for an indication of how to respond. Nick gave her a half shrug and raised a brow.

"I don't see why not," he replied "If we're lucky the old coot might've managed to fix it right up."

"I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya. Take care, Officers." Molly said, tipping her police cap at them.

"You too."

Nick gave her an easy two-fingered salute as the cruiser started down the road and Judy gave an energetic wave in the same direction. Once the cruiser was a good block up the road, the two turned towards the door to the bed and breakfast.

The building was a cozy looking three-story townhouse on what Judy assumed was the main road of Possum Springs. As Nick hefted their luggage (such as it was) up onto his shoulder, Judy climbed a small set of stairs that led onto the porch of the building. A paw-carved wooden sign hung over the door, reading "Welcome!"

Unsure of whether she should knock, Judy decided to err on the side of caution. Lifting a quaint brass knocker, Judy gave the door a few good raps.

"Be right there!"

The voice was muffled, but with Judy's keen hearing she could easily tell the voice was feminine and probably belonged to an older individual. She heard Nick step up behind her as he rolled his shoulder to better position the duffle bag he was carrying.

The door to the Empty Nest opened to reveal a late middle-aged beaver in a purple blouse and dress. She wore a pair of thick cat-eye glasses, squinting slightly as she looked to Judy before glancing up at Nick in the back.

"Oh good heavens," she said sweetly. "You two must be those out-of-town police officers that Molly mentioned over the phone!"

"That's us!" Judy said, forcing as much cheer into her voice as she could.

"Well, don't just stand there - come in, come in!" the beaver said, swinging the door wide and ushering Judy and Nick inside.

Stepping into the entryway of the building, Judy almost felt as though she were stepping into a neighbor's house back in Bunnyburrow. Rustic furniture and knick knacks lined the walls along with many framed photos of what Judy assumed were the beaver's extended family.

"Charlie? Charlie!" the beaver called out over her shoulder before turning back to the fox and rabbit. "Oh where is that layabout husband of mine …"

"Just a minute!" a gruff voice called out from a side room. A moment later an older beaver appeared wearing equally thick glasses along with slacks with suspenders over a nice white shirt.

"Welcome to the Empty Nest!" he said after glancing over the fox and rabbit. He closed the distance and extending his paw to Judy, who shook it rapidly

"Always happy to serve our boys in blue!" the beaver laughed amiably. "And ladies, I suppose!"

Judy forced herself to hold her smile.

"Oh Charlie, don't crowd these poor mammals," the female beaver said. "Where are our manners? My name is Deborah Woodstock and that's Charlie, my husband."

"Howdy," Nick said, reaching out to shake Charlie's paw. "Thanks for putting us up!"

"Oh don't you mind that," Deborah said. "We're just pleased as punch that you'll be joining us. We love the company - that's why we started this little business once the little ones moved out."

"Still," Judy said. "We really do appreciate you giving us a place to stay on such short notice."

"Well, you're paying for it aren't you?" Charlie said with an easy laugh. "Here, lemme take your bags."

He reached out to grab at Nick's duffle bag and said, "Now which of you kids is going to take the loft and which of you wants the second floor bedroom?"

Nick and Judy shared a look.

"Oh well …" Judy said, faltering.

"Which has the bigger bed?" Nick asked as he handed his duffle over to Charlie.

"Don't worry about that," Deborah said. "When we turned the house into a bed and breakfast, we made sure to get beds big enough for folks like yourself."

"Alright, then I think we'll be fine taking the loft," Nick said.

"Lovely, so then we can put the little lady in the second floor bedroom then," Charlie said.

"No, I uh - I mean, I think there's no need," Judy said patiently. "Nick and I are perfectly comfortable sharing a room."

Charlie and Deborah look quizzically at each other.

"One of you planning to sleep on the floor?" Charlie asked. "We've got plenty of beds, you don't have to-"

"No no, we're uh-" Nick said, fumbling for the right words. "Judy and I are together."

"Of course dear, Molly said you were partners. But like Charlie said we've got plenty of space," Deborah said. "We really don't mind you spreading out. No extra charge!"

"No uh, I don't think you understand," Nick said, coughing slightly in embarrassment. "Judy and I are together … "

At the continued blank looks of the two beavers, Judy felt compelled to step back in, "Nick and I are a couple."

Deborah and Charlie continued to stare uncomprehendingly, eyebrows quirked.

Sighing, Judy decided to be blunt. "He's my boyfriend - we'll share the loft, thank you."

The two beavers blinked in surprise, before sharing a quick glance and then taking a second to regard the fox and rabbit.

"O-oh!" Deborah sputtered, "But you're-"

"That's …" Charlie started. "And he's a…"

"Fox, yes indeed." Nick said with a wry smile. "And she is - without a doubt - one bonafide country-bred rabbit. Now, which way to the loft?"

Charlie's mouth opened and closed a couple times before he found his voice. "This way, I'll show you."

Nick glanced over his shoulder at Judy with a barely contained grin as he followed Charlie down a hallway and up some stairs.

Judy glared at the backside of her boyfriend for abandoning her in the foyer, but quickly recovered and looked at her host.

Deborah was also looking at Nick, but then turned her gaze back to Judy. A long moment passed in awkward silence before the beaver spoke up.

"Well, isn't that just the most precious thing," Deborah said. "I'm so sorry I- er, we didn't-"

"No, don't worry about it," Judy cut in. "It's not the first thing most people think of."

Judy sighed in relief - she hadn't been sure which way their hosts were going to take it. Hardly anyone batted an eye at an interspecies couple in Zootopia anymore, but out the country it was probably farther from the norm. Deborah and Charlie seemed well-intentioned at least, if a little clueless.

"How long have you two been together?" Deborah asked, having recovered from her shock.

"On the force? A couple years now," Judy said. "As a couple? Coming up on a year in February."

"Well isn't that just wonderful," the older beaver smiled warmly with no hint of reservation.

The rabbit and beaver stood around for a moment before Deborah added, "You know, one of my grandkids is-"

"And we're back!" Nick announced as he and Charlie stepped back into the front room. Judy breathed a sigh of relief at the fox's impeccable timing.

"The room looks fantastic, super comfy - thanks Gramps," Nick said, giving Charlie a friendly pat on the back.

The elderly beaver was smiling, no doubt won over by the fox's easy charm.

"Well I dunno about you Hopps, but I'm starved," Nick said as he patted his stomach. "You two know any good places to get a bite to eat around here?"

"Oh you poor things," Deborah said. "You know, I'm pretty sure we've got some leftover hot dish that we can-"

"I couldn't possibly impose, madam," Nick said easily. "You've done enough, and I think the both of us could use the fresh air!"

"They just opened a new taco place in Towne Centre," Charlie said.

"That sounds heavenly, what do you think Carrots?"

"Works for me, Slick," Judy said and took Nick's arm. "Shall we?"

"We shall," Nick said, angling Judy and himself towards the door. "Thanks again so much Mr. and Mrs. Woodstock. We'll see you tomorrow morning if not sooner!"

"You kids have fun," Charlie said, waving as Nick and Judy stepped back outside.

Moving as quickly as they could without seeming like they were rushing, Nick and Judy stopped after a half a block to look back at the Empty Nest. They looked back at each other, and found themselves unable to hold back their laughter.

"Oh. My. God," Judy said between giggles. "They were something else, huh?"

"I know right? Totally oblivious," Nick said and laughed again. "Did Deborah tell you about their grandson, too?"

"She was just about to when you came back downstairs." Judy said with a final amused huff "They seem nice at least."

"Definitely. And the room really is something, I think we're going to be plenty comfortable."

Nick hummed in contentment when he felt Judy wrap her arms around his side and pull in close.

"Thanks for getting us out of there, Slick," she said.

"Don't mention it."

Nick wrapped an arm around Judy and the pair began to walk into the center of town in search of food. After the hectic events of the day, it was a nice moment of quiet. The two walked in companionable silence towards what appeared to be a large war memorial in the center of town.

After a few quiet minutes, Judy asked "So Molly's up to something, right?"

"Mmhmm, I think so," the fox said. "I was in the business long enough to know when I'm a mark."

"What's her angle?"

Nick shrugged. "Dunno. She doesn't seem like a bad person. Maybe she's just a fan? She did recognize us."

"Hmmm."

"Not convinced?"

"I don't know," Judy said, mulling it over. "We'll probably find out tomorrow."

"Most likely."

The two officers continued their walk. Judy enjoyed the feeling of the crisp air blowing through her fur. There was a kind of peacefulness here that reminded her of being home in Bunnyburrow, but the setting was still urban enough that it felt like it could be a part of Zootopia. A strange combination of remote connectedness.

As they passed a telephone poll, the flicker of something caught Judy's eye. She pulled away from Nick, prompting the fox to stop and watch as Judy walked up to where a piece of paper was stapled to the poll. After a second, Nick walked over and the two mammals read the flier:

The heading of the flier read MISSING, and below that was a picture of a young cat - in his late teens or early twenties. The flier read:

CASEY HARTLEY (19) of Possum Springs. Last seen at dusk on June 27th walking westward along the tracks behind the former Food Donkey. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and jeans. If you have any information as to the location of CASEY HARTLEY at any time since his last known sighting, PLEASE contact the Deep Hollow County Sheriff's Department immediately.

"10-57," Judy murmured.

"Damn, think it's related?" Nick asked.

"Maybe? But June was a long time ago."

The two mammals stared at the flier, momentarily lost in thought.

"Look," Nick said. "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't - not to be callous or anything, but it's not our job to worry about it."

Judy frowned and turned to look at Nick questioningly.

"Oh fine," he said, giving up the pretense of apathy. "So what if I am worried about it? What can we do anyway - we're only stuck in town until the car's fixed. We can't solve everything everywhere."

"Hmmmph," Judy groaned. "Maybe not. I just hate an unsolved mystery."

The rabbit stared at the flier for a long moment before taking Nick's arm. As they continued down the street, she did her best to clear her mind of any thoughts related to the 10-57s - a task much easier said than done. She and Nick had been working for a promotion to detective for some time now, and she'd been working on her conceptualization and visual calculus ever since she'd joined the force. It was really hard for Judy to turn that part of her brain off, even for a little bit.

Passing by the large war memorial statue that seemed to be the centerpiece of the whole town, the duo eyed a building with a "for sale" sign stuck to the window. The large decal on the window read "Party Barn." It wasn't the first store they'd seen that looked like it had been up for sale a long time ago. A decent chunk of the buildings they'd passed so far had appeared abandoned or at least in some form of neglect. Small towns in general had it rough nowadays: the young did not usually stick around once they hit adulthood if they were able, and money tended to flow into the big cities instead of out to the country. Bunnyburrow was at least somewhat well off, but that was only because they were the largest producers of organic produce within a hundred miles. Whatever Possum Springs' economy was based upon, it certainly wasn't farming.

The two continued to walk in comfortable silence, paying little attention to the occasional passersby. Most paid them no mind, but a few had given off a curious look at the sight of a bunny being so close to a fox.

As Judy took another step forward, she felt Nick's arm drag behind her and freeze in place. She turned to see the fox staring up at what appeared to be a video rental store. His eyes were wide and his mouth was slightly agape. He reflexively blinked as his brain tried to process what he was seeing.

"Video Outpost Too?" he said, tilting his head. "Too!? Not two… too? As in, also?"

Sure enough, the sign for the store read Video Outpost "Too" in bold yellow letters on a dark brown backdrop.

"Huh," Judy huffed, seeming not nearly as flummoxed by the name as Nick. "I guess somebody thought it was funny?"

"Oh man, Finnick is gonna flip when he sees this," Nick chuckled, pulling out his phone and snapping a quick photo of the peculiar sign. Though his phone still lacked any reception, he could always show it to the fennec the next time they met up for drinks.

"I don't know what it is with small towns," Judy began. "But the smaller it is, the weirder the shop names. I went on a field trip to Cedar Creek over in Deerbrooke County one time, and do you know what the general store there was called? A Shoppe With No Name."

"What? But… that is a name, isn't it?"

"That's what I said!"

The two mammals shared a quick chuckle, though Nick kept his eyes fixed on the store. It had been ages since the last time he'd been in an honest to God video rental store. Streaming had spoiled him rotten, and almost all of the rental places back in Zootopia had shut down in the past few years. He'd always enjoyed browsing through their stock as a young kit, and the sight of the DVD and VHS covered racks was already making him nostalgic.

As he turned back to face Judy, he saw her smirking right at him.

"If you want to head inside, go ahead," she said, placing a paw on her hip. "You're practically buzzing just looking at the place."

"See, this is why I love you, Carrots - you know me so well."

Judy rolled her eyes and followed behind the fox as he all but dragged her through the door.

Once inside, Nick was completely in awe. The smell of burnt popcorn that had seeped into the woodwork and flooring. The dried stains of something on the shaggy carpet; the gumball machine that probably hadn't been restocked in at least a decade … if Nick had been tasked with creating a historical replica of what a peak video rental store was, he never would have been able to come up with anything as accurate as all this.

"Fluff… I'm home…" Nick joked, dramatically bringing the back of his paw to his forehead in a mock swoon.

"Should I leave you two alone for a bit?" Judy said, smiling in obvious amusement at the fox's antics.

"No, it wasn't meant to be, I'm afraid. The flame of our passion was brief, but it burned brighter than any- Ow!" he yelped as Judy gave his arm a firm punch. A brief laugh was shared between them as the two began to browse the shelves.

"Death Chill 3… Brain Eaters… Swamp Husband? Wow, they've got the real cream of the crop here huh, Slick?"

"Oh contraire, my dear Hopps. These are classics!"

"Ah - So they're old is what you're saying?"

Nick glared down at Judy with an amused smirk.

"Just because something is a little older than you doesn't mean that it is without its charms. You of all people should know that, Fluff."

"Mmm, fair enough," she smiled.

Though the grin on Judy's face showed that she was having just as much fun with this as he was, Nick could tell that the day's events were still eating away at her. His time as Judy's partner had made him quite adept at noticing when a case had stuck with her particularly hard. Her ears were slumped above her head rather than being in their usual perked and attentive position. The faint signs of a suppressed thump could be seen through the occasional twitch of her thighs and wiggle of her toes.

It wasn't her fault that they were stranded in Possum Springs - it wasn't anyone's fault, as far as he could tell. Though he shared in her aggravation, Nick was generally much better at taking things in stride than his partner.

Judy needed a pick-me-up, and he knew just the thing.

"Hey - Wadduya say to an impromptu movie night, Carrots?"

Judy looked up at him quizzically.

"Huh? You mean tonight?"

"Yeah, why not? We've got your laptop back at the Nest, and it's not like we've got much else to do."

Judy briefly turned away from Nick, glancing around at the wide selection of dated and likely cheesy films. Nick felt a tinge of happiness as he saw Judy's features relax.

"I suppose I'd be up for it - so long as we make it a bad one. I could use a good laugh."

"Same here. I betcha the kit working the front counter could probably get us started in the right direction," Nick said, nodding towards the mouse in question.

With an affirmative nod from Judy, Nick made his way over to the front counter. A storm-gray mouse - probably somewhere in her mid teens - was sitting behind the counter, perched on a stack of old vhs cases (the spines read "Nukie") which were themselves placed on top of a stool. As she noticed that pair approaching, she straightened up and gave a slight tug on the sleeve of her brown hoodie.

"Hey," she said with a soft voice that could only be described as mousey. "Um… you aren't here for the porn, are you?"

Neither Nick nor Judy were prepared for that absolute flashbang of a question.

"Uh, no…" Nick replied, then took a moment to think. "Should we be?"

The feeling of Judy's foot slamming down on the tip of his tail caused the myriad of other jokes he was thinking up to be scattered to the winds. He let out a whine and pulled his tail to his other side.

"I'm sorry," the mouse said, almost curling up into herself. "You two look like you're from out of town, and a lot of the people from out of town come here for the x-rated section. I'm not old enough to handle those movies, so I'd have to call Angus if you wanted some."

"Worry not, kid," Nick said while massaging his tail. "We are not here for that kind of stuff."

"Good. S-Sorry, I should've known. Most of the people that come for that are alone, and I haven't seen one bring their girlfriend with them."

Nick and Judy shared a quick glance. The mouse was perceptive - certainly more so than the Woodstocks had been. Before either of them could reply, the mouse started to stammer.

"N-Nevermind it's okay, I'm sorry I'm sorry," she rambled, letting out a series of rapid huffs.

"You're fine, really!" Judy said in an attempt to reassure her.

"I'm sorry… I get all weird sometimes. This is like, my first real job and I haven't even finished my first week yet," the mouse said.

"Don't worry about it. We've both seen animals plenty stranger back where we're from. What's your name, kid?" Nick asked.

"Lori M.," the mouse replied, her breathing beginning to steady.

"Well, Lori M. - I'm Nick, and this adorable ball of fluff is my partner Judy." Nick said, gesturing to the rabbit next to him. "Thanks to circumstances out of our control, we've found ourselves stranded in Possum Springs for the foreseeable future. It has admittedly soured both of our moods quite a bit, and we've come to the conclusion that the best way to fix that is by watching a trash movie."

"Oh - how trash are we talking?" Lori asked with a slight tilt of her head.

"The worst," Judy said. "Like The Room levels of bad. The kind where we'd throw popcorn at the screen if it was big enough."

"Ok. I like horror movies a lot. I know we've got a few bad ones around the store. Does that work for you?"

"Should be fine. Genre doesn't really matter much. Only thing that does is that somebody tried to make a real movie and failed hard at it," Nick said, leaning his elbow onto the counter.

"Well…" Lori began, looking over the shelves of ancient VHS tapes in thought. "Death Chill 3 is a real stinker, and you don't need to have watched the first two movies to understand what's going on. Lost and Found is more of a feel good drama, but the acting is like complete garbage. Brain Eaters has some nice gore effects, but I wouldn't say it's bad in the way you're looking for. And Swamp Husband is just… weird…"

Suddenly, the mouse perked up her ears and straightened her back as her eyes went wide with realization. She looked back and forth between Nick and Judy.

"Oh! Have either of you ever heard of Seal Breen?

Both mammals shook their heads.

"Ok ok ok ok!" Lori said as she rummaged under the counter for a short moment before revealing a clear plastic jewel case with a disk inside. The only thing on the disk were the words "Twisted Hare" written in permanent marker.

"This," Lori said, placing the jewel case down on the counter. "This is what you're looking for."

"Even I haven't heard of this one," Nick remarked. "What makes it so special?"

"It's the guy that made it. I think he used to be a lawyer? Or a real estate agent, I'm not sure which. Either way, he does everything in his movies himself. Writing, directing, starring, makeup… catering… It's super weird. Trust me, this should have you both dying by the end of it."

"Is that even something that the store normally sells?" Judy asked, looking down at the jewel case. All other films in the store were safely stored in their appropriate case with actual cover art on it.

"No no, this is my copy. But you two seem like you know what you're looking for, and I can always make another one."

"Wait wait," Nick suddenly interrupted. "I have one question: does this Breen guy wear a black tank top?"

Judy looked up at her partner with a quizzical look. What on earth was he getting at?

"I mean, not in this one - but he has in a couple of his other movies," Lori replied.

"That's it, I'm sold!" Nick said, confidently planting his paws on his hips.

"What? Nick, why is that the thing that seals the deal for you?" Judy asked.

"Trust me on this, Carrots - The movie has a writer/director/star, it's probably low budget, likely a vanity project, and he's worn a black tank top? I daresay we've got gold on our paws here."

"It's like, mega-bad," Lori chimed in. "Like, so bad it comes back around and becomes good."

"Tell ya what, Lori. Here's my proposal - I give you ten bucks now for Twisted Hare, and I'll bring it right back to you tomorrow. If it ends up being even remotely as terrible as you're making it out to be, then I'll throw in an extra ten bucks. Regardless, I'm gonna put in a good word to your boss for being so helpful. That sound good to you?"

"Yeahyeahyeah!" the mouse said, bouncing in her seat. "You've got a deal."

"Fantastic, Lori," Nick said, his expression turning serious. "But you know what this means right?"

Lori looked uncertain, glancing between Nick and Judy.

"We can't watch a bad movie without snacks, now can we?" the fox said with a wink to the mouse.

"O-oh, sure," Lori said. "You could try the Snack Falcon - it's just down the street. Should have popcorn and drinks and stuff."

"You have just single handedly made our evening Lori M.," Nick said and reached his paw out for a friendly shake.

The diminutive mouse reached out shyly, but couldn't help but smile as she shook Nick's paw.

Nick and Judy bid Lori a good evening - the jewel case of 'Twisted Hare' in paw - and stepped out into the night. The Taco Buck was conveniently only one building over. Nick walked to the door to the restaurant, and in an overly dramatic display of chivalry opened the door for Judy and bent over in a sweeping bow.

"Ladies first!"

Before Judy could give an appropriate retort, a streak of black and orange zoomed out of the Taco Buck shouting "Tacos! Fuel for the Bandit Queens! Ye mighty, beware!" before darting down the street a short ways.

"Ugh Mae, no-" a tired, but clearly amused voice called after the departing form.

Nick and Judy watched as a young crocodile carrying a plastic takeout bag filled with what was presumably tacos stepped out the open door after the fleeting form. "Sorry, thanks" she said to Nick and then began to walk quickly down the street after her companion.

Judy looked back at Nick, who merely shrugged and made a sweeping gesture for Judy to enter.

The interior of the restaurant was fairly nondescript, though judging from some of the decor on the walls - paintings of the rustic countryside, painted images of tomatoes, garlic, and flatbread - Judy wondered if this place had previously been a pasta restaurant. Thankfully there wasn't much of a line. After a minute spent pondering the menu, the fox and rabbit ordered vegetarian and fish taco platters from a bored looking black and white cat at the counter named Dan, if his nametag was to be believed.

As they waited for their food, Judy went to try and zoogle "Seal Breen" only to be once again thwarted by the persistent lack of signal in the town. But they didn't have to wait long for their food, and soon enough Judy and Nick stepped out onto the street once again.

"So Lori M. said the Snack Falcon should be right up the road here," Nick said, pausing to take a long sniff of the tantalizing aroma of the fresh tacos. "Figured we could grab a few beers to go with the tacos, and maybe some popcorn for after those are gone."

"Are you going to insist on using her full name every time?" Judy asked, amused at her boyfriend's antics.

"Why not? That's what she introduced herself as," the fox said with a show of faux indignation. "It would be rude not to respect that."

"Yeah yeah," Judy said, shaking her head. "So respectful of you."

The rabbit tucked herself into her usual place on Nick's side and smiled to herself as the fox wrapped his arm around her once again.

It wasn't a long convenience store looked like every other Snack Falcon Nick and Judy had seen in Zootopia, and was nestled between two brick apartment buildings. The sun had all but set at this point, just a smear of reddish light still visible on the horizon. The brilliant interior lights and neon glow of the Snack Falcon sign gave the place an otherworldly quality.

Just like the building's exterior, the inside was basically what Nick and Judy had learned to expect from the store chain: reddish-pink tile floors and faint yellow painted walls. While it was certainly distinctive, it wouldn't have been either of their first choices if they'd been put in charge of the interior decorating.

"Yo yo, duders," the attendant at the counter said. "Welcome welcome to the Snalcon, my once and future domain. I'll be your host, the one and only Greggory!"

Greggory was a young fox with a rusty brown coat that seemed a fair bit more uniform than Nick's orange and tan fur. He was dressed in a black leather jacket and leaned casually on the counter of the store.

"What can I getcha'? A pair of lotto' scratchers? Some smokes?"

Judy smiled slightly and shook her head. Nick wasn't the only quirky, hammy fox in the world it seemed.

"No thanks," she said. "We're just going to grab some snacks and drinks for a movie night."

"Sweet dudes!" Greggory said and pointed to an aisle in the store. "Popcorn and chips are right down there, beers are in the fridges in the back. I'll be here when you're ready to ring things up."

Judy and Nick walked down to the indicated aisle and found a decent selection of junk food and booze that would work perfectly for the evening. Grabbing a couple bags of microwavable popcorn and a six pack of some brand of carrot ale that Judy was excited to see (it wasn't apparently sold in Zootopia, and Judy promised it was good) the two mammals walked up to the counter to check out.

"You folks from outta town?" the younger fox asked as he rang up their purchases.

"That obvious?" Nick asked.

"Well, kinda," Greggory nodded. "I'm pretty sure I know all the foxes here - small town you know."

"Sure sure," Nick said, nodding. "I grew up in a small neighborhood, not too different from this."

"Oh, where're you from my dude?"

"Zootopia born and bred," Nick said. "I'm from Happytown."

"Oh wow, no way!" Greggory said, his face lighting up. "The biggest of the big cities - think I've got a cousin who lives in Happytown … Well dang, what are you doing out in the middle of nowheresville?"

"Car trouble," Judy said with a frown. "Broke down just outside of town this afternoon."

"Yikers, that super sucks," Greggory commiserated. "You two like it in Zootopia?"

Nick smiled knowingly and looked to Judy to answer.

"Honestly? It's the best," the rabbit said, beaming. "I can't imagine living anywhere else!"

"Very cool," Greggory said. "My uh …" he seemed to search for the right word. "My SO and I thought about trying to move out there - thought it would be neat."

"Oh, planning a move?" Nick asked.

"Well, something like that," Greggory said. "We're working on a plan! Gonna move to Bright Harbor."

"Oh I hear that's a great place," Judy said. "Nice college town, very cosmopolitan."

"Yeah, we're hoping it'll be great," the young fox said, before quickly bagging Nick and Judy's purchases. "Need anything else?"

"Nah, I think we're good, Gregster," Nick said. "Have a good one!"

"Adios, amigos," Greggory said with a friendly wave as Nick and Judy left the store.


"Nooo, nooooo! Oh my god, no way!" Judy was struggling to breathe through her laughter. "How many times is he going to green-screen himself into stock footage?"

"I know, right?" Nick said. "And look! Look look look!"

The fox paused the video and rewound a couple seconds.

"Right there!" he said, pointing to the background of the shot.

"Is that … oh my god is that a janitor?"

"Yes! They got the cleaning staff in the shot!"

Nick and Judy laughed uproariously and resumed watching.

They'd made their way back to the Empty Nest without incident, waving politely to the Woodstocks as they walked in and quickly made their way to their room to have dinner. Judy had to admit that the tacos were a lot better than she was expecting from a small town like this, and noted that Nick seemed thoroughly satisfied with his.

After cleaning themselves up a bit and getting into their pajamas, the fox and rabbit settled into bed and propped up Judy's laptop on a few pillows. Nick went downstairs briefly to pop the popcorn while Judy slid the dvd of 'Twisted Hare' out of its case and into her computer. Nick returned shortly with a couple of the chilled beers and a freshly popped bag of popcorn, and the two settled in to watch.

When Lori had warned them that the movie was going to be bad, Nick and Judy thought they knew what they'd be in for. After all, they'd made their way through Troll 2 and Manos the Paws of Fate, so how bad could this Seal Breen movie be anyway?

In the days to come, neither Nick or Judy would forget how this "movie" fundamentally altered their perception of bad film. The utterly bizarre, borderline nonsensical plot, the abysmal acting, and the special effects that were nothing but simple VFX plugins that were available online. All of it cascaded into the indescribable mess that played out on the screen.

"Why are the dolls moving? WHY?" The rabbit was in stitches. "What does it mean, Breen? Why?"

"That's not even the same actor as before!" Nick said. "It's just the back of some other mammal's head, but it's obvious it's not the same guy!"

The evening passed in a haze of contentment and mirth. Maybe it was the beer, or maybe just fatigue from the ordeal, but the fox and rabbit quickly found themselves pleasantly tired as they laughed their way through the bizarre credits of the movie.

Once Judy's laptop was placed safely back into her bag, both mammals stretched and let out a deep yawn. The resounding laughter they'd both shared over the ninety minutes had done a surprisingly good job at masking just how tired each of them truly were.

Nick let out a hearty stretch, the tips of his toes remaining a good foot from the edge of the bed. Though it wasn't his own, the fact that he actually fit in it was a godsend to him after spending the weekend with his feet dangling off the edge of Judy's perfectly bunny-sized bed.

"Oh man," the fox said, leaning back against the pillow with his paws behind his head. 'This day took one hell of a turn, didn't it?"

"No kidding," Judy replied, joining him on the bed and beginning to fluff her pillow. "After all that though, I think we just may have salvaged it."

"All thanks to one Lori M.," Nick chuckled.

"Yup. I'd say she's earned that extra ten bucks you mentioned."

"After that mess of a movie, she's earned herself a nice twenty! The kid's got taste, that's for sure."

As Judy laid her head down onto her pillow, she let out a contented sigh and turned to face Nick. She wiggled under the covers until her front was flush against the fox's side. She wrapped a paw around his fluff covered chest and hugged him tightly, prompting Nick to move one arm down to return her embrace.

"Thank you…" she mewled, nuzzling her forehead into his neck. She felt his head turn as he looked down at her with a raised brow.

"What for?" Nick asked.

"I was doing that thing I always do where I get super fixated on a bunch of small things that I can't do anything about. Usually ends up with me getting super frustrated and pissed off," Judy said quietly, leaning into Nick's side as the fox began to lightly stroke and pet her ears. "You shook me out of it with the dumb movie."

"And with tacos, can't forget the tacos."

"They were pretty good …" she mused, sighing in satisfaction. "But I know you're just as tired and frustrated as me, so again - thanks Nick."

"Not a problem, Fluff," Nick replied, planting a quick kiss on the top of her head.

For a bit both mammals simply laid there, enjoying the physical contact as they slowly began to drift into their eventual sleep. Before it could end up taking Judy however, the doe suddenly remembered something she'd been meaning to ask Nick all day.

"Hey, Slick?"

"Hmmm…" he muttered, his eyes still closed. The fact that his head had turned to face her was enough of an indication that he was listening.

"Back before the car broke down - you were about to ask me something. What was it?"

The speed at which the fox's eyes snapped open did not go unnoticed by Judy. She heard his heart rate spike, if only by a small amount. Before she was able to comment on any of it, Nick's muzzle morphed into an easy grin as he let out a faint chuckle.

"If I'm being honest with ya, I can't really remember. Must not have been that important."

Even with sleep fast approaching, Judy could tell that he definitely remembered but didn't want to talk about it right now. That was fine with her. The couple had long since learned to give each other space when it was needed. She wouldn't pester him about it for now, but the rabbit made a mental note to bring it up once this was all over.

"Sure. It must have been nothing," Judy said with a yawn.

Another minute of silence passed, before Judy felt a warm puff of air hit the top of her head and heard a chuckle come from Nick.

"You know, I bet at this very minute Deborah and Charlie are staring at the ceiling trying to figure us out."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh you know … the logistics, if you will."

"Nick!" Judy couldn't help but giggle. "That's horrible."

"I dunno, I always enjoy it."

Laughing, Judy rolled over and smacked Nick on the muzzle with her pillow.

"Shut up and go to sleep, you horndog."

"Alright, alright - geeze," Nick said through a smile. "Vicious bunny."

Judy put her pillow back in its place and pulled herself close to her boyfriend.

"Perfect fox," she whispered in contentment.

After another minute of silence, both mammals were fast asleep.


Authors' Note:

Lot's of fluff in this one, which is always a treat to write. But fear not, the wheels of the plot are beginning to turn. We hope you're having as much fun reading this as we're having writing it! See you in the next one.