Author's note: Hey there guys, it's Valiant. I'm back with a new chapter of Zootopia, things have been kinda tough around here. With the quarantine still in effect I've been trying to keep myself busy along with my family and also taking my time with my studies which have not been easy. I just finished a previous project that I had been working on for about a year and a half and it is an original story primed for publishing, I'm specially proud of that. Enough about me though, this chapter is rather long but I've been listening to the words of some reviewers and shortened the paragraphs so it could facilitate reading, thanks for the support by the way, there is a ton of important moments on this particular chapter and I am sure it will be worth your time. Tensions are high around the world but I hope you're all doing great wherever you are, after this chapter I might get a break to organize the next ones and possibly get a new project started, until then enjoy and stay awesome!

Episode 6: Finding a place

Judy's family was notified about her plans to change address during the days that followed and they were more than willing to support her, of course they were also dotted with a little worry on the side, however she still had to find a new spot to call her own first and she had to do so before her family decided to suddenly send all of her belongings at once into the city, her parents, her siblings, every single bunny in the Hopps household had good intentions when it came to helping one another out but they could sometimes butt in her affairs and make a big mess of things without meaning to do so, then again most families do as such out of love. The bustle around Zootopia only grew larger on the following weeks, Judy returned to the ZPD and started out the way she was meant to do initially, she helped on the cross walk, redirecting traffic and writing a few tickets during the day, occasionally she was stopped on the street by a citizen who had questions or just wanted to take a selfie with her, she showed up on television and at that point in time thanks to her newfound fame everybody knew what she had accomplished but all of that was only half-way done in a day for her.

Once she returned to the precinct she was called out to answer a few other questions by the inquiring minds of the reporters from columns and newspapers who were still hanging about, everyone seemed to want a piece of her now, every writer and blogger wanted to have an understanding of every angle from the story of the bunny cop who saved the entire city from itself. After an entire day of driving around, writing tickets, answering questions and organizing a few files on her spare time over at the precinct she was more than satisfied and relieved to toss her body over her bed and sleep it all off until the next day. As Judy gave her all at the ZPD even at the most menial or mundane of tasks, Nick mostly just laid about looking for something meaningful to do during his spare time, he still ran his usual hustles selling pawpscicles and transporting materials around with Finnick's help to get money for everyday stuff, but he also took a minute every now and then to put his thoughts in order. The decision of him joining Judy as an officer of the ZPD was still lingering in his mind and his verdict was yet to come on that subject, that was starting to annoy him quite a bit.

Soon, days had turn into a whole week or so and, just as Judy's obligations at the precinct became lighter and easier to deal with, she took one day off with chief Bogo's permission and contacted Nick who made sure to live up to his word and help his friend seek out a more spacious place to live in. As Judy and Nick were walking by with him leading the way while she followed right behind, Judy began to notice how the fox walked by, he moved swiftly across the concrete paths and through the crowds of mammals like there was nothing but air in his path, with his paws in his pockets and giving casual salutations to a few of the mammals that he encountered along the way, he may have seemed like just another face in the crowd but he was actually a point of interest and she made sure to take notice of that on every step they took.

Judy had no idea where he was leading her, they were already way into the city at that point but she trusted him, Nick knew not only the streets of Zootopia but also how the mammals who wandered by them acted, each of them showed a hint of their lives, their jobs, their unique way of thinking and their ways to interact with others overall, Nick already knew exactly how to act and deal with each figure he crossed paths with and also to avoid a few individuals that he perceived as troublesome and sketchy along the way, Judy also took note of how his ears twitched in every direction to identify every sound and his nose took quick whiffs of the air as each smell hit him, the way the fox moved, acted, paid attention and reacted with seconds of variance through everything in his path showed the makings of a sharp mind and an apt body both complemented by a gentle soul, Judy was more than aware that Nick was smart and capable but it was the way he used his mind on split second actions and taking in small details along the way they walked that really intrigued her.

Nick pointed a claw to an alleyway nearby where there were innumerous sings containing advertisements of various business plastered on the walls around them, there were cords up above where clothes were hanging out to dry and a few trash cans around that were filling the air with a cocktail of unsavory smells, with a steady pacing they passed through the alley and Judy's eyes were met with a street filled with many stores and eateries, there was a modest clothing shop that specialized in modifying cloths for mammals with small physiology, an Italian restaurant that filled the air at its front door with a delightful smell of food, there was even an electronics shop that sold several utensils for maintenance and customizing cellphones. It was a great sight for her, it felt as if she was compelled to simply stop by somewhere down the path and just take it all in, maybe go into one of the establishments and browse for something to buy, but as soon as she turned her eyes forward once more she noticed Nick had gotten quite far ahead, she walked a bit faster so she could catch up with him. As Judy placed herself closer to Nick, the fox's ear twitched making notice of her hurried pace to catch up to him, he launched a side look at her and spoke:

- Keep close Carrots, we're almost there.

Up ahead there was a building with four floor or so, there was a side door with a fairly wore out sign that she could barely read, after climbing a single flight of stairs right behind Nick, Judy could not hold her curiosity back anymore, she poked his side and asked:

- Nick, where are we going exactly?

- We are going to see an old friend of mine. He always talked big about getting into the real estate business and rumor has it he made quite a name for himself around these parts. I just hope he is around.

Nick did a quick check on his phone and looked at a door in front of him, the door had the number 32 placed on its wooden frame, the fox nodded his head and gave the door a loud knock, soon enough a deep rasped voice came from the other side yelling out:

- Fair warning: If you're selling something then get the hell out of dodge cause I'm not buying it!

Nick smiled and answered:

- That's too bad, I am this close to getting my merit badge.

A moment of silence was spent just then, a few heavy steps were heard coming from the other side of the door followed by the metallic clink of a chain being unlatched, as the door swung itself open the image of a big honey badger appeared in front of them, the mammal was rather tall, just a few strides above Nick's size, he was dressed with a woven blazer colored with a dark mossy green and he had a red wine colored tie that was clearly just a clip on to save time, as the honey badger eyed the fox up and down Nick spoke up:

- Been a while Vinnie.

With a smile the badger got in closer to grab onto Nick's paw and shake avidly on it:

- Too long you old son of a gun!

Judy watched as the two of them exchanged sympathies, apparently they haven't seen each other in a long time, with a surprised look and tone of voice the badger spoke again:

- Dude, I have not seen you in the longest while, I legit thought for the life of me that you were dead in a ditch somewhere!

- Sorry to disappoint you Vin. You doing alright?

- Just great. I finally got the deposit to buy that car I had my eyes on, it's parked just outside.

- Nice.

- Hey, come in. You want something to drink?

- All the time.

The two friends exchanged a laugh and Nick walked inside the place, he turned around and made a gesture with his paw telling Judy to follow him inside, the bunny walked through the door and noticed a few interesting details, the location she was in right then was a nice office apartment, it bared close resemblance to the offices seen in old detective movies that she loved to watch when she was younger, there was a ceiling fan and an old heater by the far right corner of the main room, there was a modest two seat couch and on the wall behind it a simplified map of Zootopia with a few areas of interest marked with blue outline circles, there was a big file cabinet that appeared well maintained and it had one opened drawer showing off a few papers and there was also a big mahogany table set near a pair of windows that only served to see the fire escape and red bricks of the building across the alley behind the place. As Nick and Judy sat each on a chair placed in front of the main desk, the honey badger reached for a big side drawer and retrieved a bottle of whisky along with two small ornate glasses, he only then noticed the presence of a third element in the room, his eyes followed Judy as she paced slowly in the direction of a chair she had chosen to sit and surveyed the room, he gestured with the bottle I his paw while pointing at her and asked:

- How about you? Want a swig? It's top shelf quality.

Judy gestured with her paws and dismissed his offer politely:

- No thanks. I'm not thirsty.

Vinnie shrugged it off and poured glasses for Nick and for himself, after he gave Nick one of the glasses filled by the halfway point with the liquid and grabbed a seat he asked:

- So Wilde, are you just popping in for a quick 'hello' or are you looking for something else?

Nick took a swig of the whisky glass in his paw, after the drink passed through his gullet leaving a small but pleasant burning sensation in its path he answered:

- Even if is great to see you again Vinnie we came here to talk about business. My friend Judy here is on the market for a new place to live and I'm hoping you can help her out.

Vinnie placed his empty glass down on the table and took the time to study the bunny sitting close to Nick at the time, he took off the green blazer to toss it over a vacant corner of his desk and after looking at her more attentively he searched his memory and asked:

- Judy… as in 'Judy Hopps'?!

Judy displayed a single positive nod and a small bashful smile Vinnie's way and the honey badger continued speaking:

- You're the bunny cop that found the missing mammals and put an end to the savage outbursts! I've seen you on TV! I can't believe that I'm speaking with a celebrity right now!

Judy dismissed his commentary with a gentle gesture of her paws and spoke with a bashful smile:

- I'm… not a celebrity, I'm just a police officer that did her best for the citizens of Zootopia, nothing more. Also, I didn't do it all alone.

Nick released a chuckle and spoke out:

- Don't give it too much thought Vin, she's way too modest.

Judy looked Nick's way as he shot a side glance at her and gave out a simple wink, she smiled and returned her attention at Vinnie who felt the need to rise up and shake her paw personally, Judy inquired as she was shaking his paw firmly:

- Anyway, do you think you can help me Mr. Vinnie?

The honey badger shrugged it off and spoke:

- Please, call me Vinnie, also I know that I can find you a place to stay no problem. I've got right here with me a long list of vacant properties and one of them has got to be right for your needs. Where have you been living up until now? If you don't mind me asking.

Judy answered him:

- I started out living at the apartment building at Elgran St., I found it in an ad online showing it that it was near the center of the savanna, the one called Shady Oasis

After hearing that name out loud, Vinnie made a face that was pretty close to an expression of disgust as he rolled his eyes to the side, he approached Judy once more and spoke:

- I've heard of that place, the crazy armadillo lady that lives there throws four walls together and dares to call it an apartment, not to mention she has the gall to charge twice the original price for one of those, sometimes more.

Judy was a tad surprised after hearing that, Vinnie guided Judy's eyes as he walked to the map located at a nearby wall, he pointed to the map as a whole and asked as he picked up a small note pad inside his back pocket and scrolled around the pages:

- I guarantee that I can find you a swell living space for just the same price or even less. What are you looking for in a new place of your own? Anything specific?

Judy raised from her chair and answered as she walked closer:

- I'm not looking for anything too fancy, just a nice place close to the precinct one building, it doesn't need to be big or luxurious, I'm only looking for the basics on a single bedroom living space.

Vinnie waved his paw over the map and, soon after, placed his paw right under his chin to give it a gentle scratch, after he was done he pointed his other paw over a few marked spots on the map and said:

- The only places closer to the heart of Savana and to the ZPD on my list are at Lake Avenue, Santin Lane, the one near the Leo's convenience store on Joselin avenue and the one over at Green Squares. Friendly advice: Ignore that last one if you can, the tenant of the place is a loon and the daily commute to work is a nightmare.

Judy nodded showing that she understood, Vinnie gave her some space so she could study the map and make her decision. Judy was left to point her paws over the map and calculate the best possible route to work on her phone, Vinnie stepped closer to Nick and made a gesture with his head silently asking the fox to follow him, Nick nodded signaling that he understood and walked alongside him with the glass of whisky in his paw which still contained some of the drink until they were right by a window, Vinnie poked the fox beside him and asked:

- So, what's the deal with this bunny Wilde? Since when are you into helping cops?

Nick smiled and began his explanation:

- It's true that I never have enjoyed the company and hassle of Zootopia's finest, but she's is different, she's my friend and I'm trying to help her out with this. She still hasn't got the chance to grasp the way of how most things work in Zootopia and I don't want to see her cheated out.

Vinnie looked over his right shoulder and saw the bunny with her ears down and her eyes glued to the map as she mumbled to herself and made some small calculations in her cellphone, Vin returned his eyes to Nick and asked with a side grin:

- So… I'm guessing that this is the girl that hustled you, huh?

Nick heard that question just as he finished the last sip of his drink, he swallowed that last swig in a rush and almost chocked on it as he hurried to ask:

- How did you even know that?!

Vinnie chuckled and responded:

- Oh, word gets around Wilde. I met up with Matthew a few days ago, he was helping me with a check up on my car's engine when he spilled out how you called him one night and how you were all hung up on some girl who took you down a notch, I almost laughed my guts out when I heard that. I'm going to take a wild guess here and say that *this* is the girl that he was talking about.

Nick's ears lowered over his head and he placed a paw over his face as he mumbled:

- Damnit all Mat! I'm going to kill you!

Vinnie gave Nick a playful slap over his shoulder and spoke up:

- She's got to be some piece of work to beat you on your own game.

Nick confirmed:

- Well… she's tougher than she looks that's for sure, and she has the courage to back it up.

Vinnie smiled to Nick as he reminisced back to the time when they were still a bunch of kits looking for trouble, Nick had always been a kind of shy kid, he had some friends that stuck around but the fox tended to keep most things to himself specially after the whole 'wooden scouts' episode. The few friends that Nick still had around him noticed how he closed himself off from most of the world around him and secluded his heart, only keeping mammals that he was absolutely sure he could trust around, time passed and Nick lost his touch with others even the ones that were closest to him, it was nice to see Nick more open like that, as he used to be when they were younger and didn't have to worry so much about the many burdens and hardships of life. Vinnie's thoughts were halted when he heard the bashful voice of a bunny calling out:

- Excuse me, Mr. Vinnie?

Vinnie turned around and saw the small bunny with one of her paws raised while the other one was still holding the pone, the honey badger approached and she pointed the spot on the map that caught her attention the most, Nick followed on his way while leaving the empty glass over the desk. Nick looked over Vinnie's shoulder out of curiosity to catch a glimpse of the map, he didn't catch a good enough look of the spot before Vinnie turned around to face the bunny and placed one of his heavy paws over her small shoulders as he said:

- Great choice! I've been meaning to get a closer look at that place.

Judy raised a brow, same as Nick, she asked out of curiosity:

- You've… never seen this particular location yourself?

Vinnie grabbed a new blazer that looked an awful like the one he was wearing before that was hanging on a hook at the wall closest to him, he turned around and answered as he was adjusting the sleeves of the garment:

- I bought the place over from an old friend who decided to cut his losses, leave town and retire in peace. The guy was a reporter, the crazy mongoose skipped town after the old district gazette filed for bankruptcy and the common tabloids decided to go digital. I contracted some servicing mammals to keep an eye on the place, cleaning, fixing, you know, that kind of stuff. But I haven't set paw or tail in the place for the longest time, heard it is a great spot, no construction sites nearby, great neighborhood…

Judy placed a finger under her chin and ruminated on the words of the honey badger, intrigued by his prospects and the possibility of seeing such a nicely reviewed living space, but also suspicious, wondering if those words were nothing more than the clever sales pitch of a common crook. Still, determined to give him the benefit of the doubt and being safely assured that Nick would be by her side in case anyone else tried to pull a fast one on her, she spoke up and asked:

- Sounds great. Is there any chance I can get a look at any images of the apartment?

Vinnie chuckled and answered:

- Pictures? We're gonna check the place ourselves. I got to keep a close eye at my investments after all.

Vinnie opened the door exiting his office and made a sign with his paw asking the pair inside to follow him, Nick shook his head as he was reminded of the eccentric nature of his old comrade and how he tended to act out of sheer impulse most of the time, Judy saw as Nick began to exit the office, she organized the papers and her cellphone inside of her left pocket and followed closely, Vinnie locked the door behind him as soon as everyone was outside and started to lead the way with Nick accompanying his pacing from the side and Judy walking right behind them, Vinnie gently bumped Nick's shoulder as he spoke:

- We will cut right through Basil park and we will be there in no time, might even grab some lunch on the way back.

Nick displayed a simple grin as a small wave of nostalgia hit him, he spoke up:

- Basil park? Wow, that takes me back.

- Hey, remember that time when we convinced you to climb the old petrified tree that used to be right at the center of the park? I think you dislocated one of your shoulders after you almost fell off and tried hanging on for dear life.

Nick grinned and answered with his snarky tone:

- True, still those were the easiest fifty bucks I ever made during my childhood days.

The trio of mammals walked out of the building and through the streets keeping in the same formation as they left, they entered what seemed like a unassuming space that later stretched out into a landscape that scarred the gray portion of the district with an enormous green spot, the three of them were walking on a simple path of granite that cut through the park, there was a circular portion of the path that housed a simple but elegant fountain in the heart of the park, many families were strolling around the path, a few mammals around engaging in exercise routines, there was a playground and a nice patch of trees near it.

That location was well perceived by Judy's point of view, the stroll across the park was calming and the air around her which was fresher that the air over at the more occupied areas of the city were reminded her a tiny bit from when she used to jog during mornings back on Bunnyburrow, Nick also felt a pleasant feeling within his chest as his mind charted many different ways around the grass making him remember some good and bad times that he had gone through in the past. Many years ago that park was nothing more than a dump, bags of waste and patches of grass that had been left to grow wildly with nobody to take care of it, until a group of concerned and attentive citizens protested for the betterment of the park, after that Nick came to that place many time to hang out with friends or just stroll with his parents during the sunny summer days of the past. He missed those days.

After they crossed and exited the park, Vinnie, still somewhat ahead of the group as they continued to walk, took some time to point out a few points o interest of the district they were now located, a small building of about five stories tall and a nice beige paint work over the outer walls, as to make sure that he was clear on the location he checked around, stood near the door's thresh hold and said:

- Well… one eight five, Joselin Avenue, State Lou Heights. We're are here.

Judy directed her eyes upwards as she surveyed the outside of the structure, it seemed to be well maintained and plenty inviting, there weren't any construction sites around just as Vinnie said and she reckoned that it was very much possible for her to walk from that location to work without much effort every morning, but she did not wish to get her hopes up just yet, there was much planning to do still. After Vin entered the building Nick and Judy followed, they climbed a set of stairs and were taken to the third door on the second floor line up, Vinnie reached into his pocket to retrieve a huge bundle of keys, he searched frantically through each and every single one looking for the one that opened the door close to him, as he was almost reaching the end of the ring of keys in his paw he mumbled:

- Damn! I really should get around to placing labels on these things!

After finding the right key and opening the door the apartment was revealed as a blank canvas, there was a living room and a counter further back as the border to the kitchen area, already equipped with storage pantries placed above a sink, a huge slide off window displaying a great view of the street bellow and a hallway to the right that lead deeper into the empty abode. Judy was simply marveled at how much living space was available in there, compared to her enclosed closet that place was a five stars hotel, she moved slowly and as she dragged her feet over a portion of the floor she noticed that it appeared to be made of a nice hard-wood finish, however, upon further inspection, she realized it was actually made of carvormanted plastic, a special mixture that hit the construction industry not too long ago made to cut costs in buildings and resemble wooden beams and floors in appearances.

The walls were plain white and didn't show any sign of decay, not at first glance at least, the kitchen sink was clearly an old model, possibly installed when the previous inhabitant lived there but it hardly mattered to her. After twirling around and absorbing as many details as she could about that new environment Judy could do little more than gasp in amazement, Vin noticed her face as easily impressionable and was already chalking that up inside his mind as an easy sale, that was a very nice place after all, despise the fact that it was rather small, there weren't many mammals looking for single bedroom apartments in Zootopia at the time and it would be quite nice for him to get an easy sign of a sale that day.

Nick, already sniffing out his old comrade more opportunistic side, walked closer to the bunny right before Vinnie came around to ask:

- So… what do you think? It's nice right?

Judy got excited, she wanted to answer with so much conviction that he place was amazing, she could practically see herself already living there, sitting around and getting buried in a nice book for the night, organizing files from work as soon as she got back to a regular patrol schedule, relaxing and simply letting time goes by as she ate a nice meal and didn't have to bother with noisy neighbors anymore, it was all perfect, but before she could use the deep breath she just took to give away her answer Nick placed his right paw in front of her making her halt all of her actions and pay attention to him. She wasn't sure what he was doing. Was something wrong? Nick shot a simple look with a serious glint in his eyes and a side scowl appearing on his muzzle, he looked at Vinnie a few seconds after and answered on Judy's behalf:

- Just give it a minute or two Vin. There are still a few things to check out.

Fully aware of the fox's mentality when it came to making decisions, Vinnie stepped back and gave a reassuring positive nod with his head, he walked in the direction of the door and slouched his figure against the wall to check a few things on his phone, it was obvious that e was still full of confidence by the look on his face and the way his tail was moving side to side as he walked away. Nick decided to take that opportunity to talk with Judy in private, he thanked Vinnie for giving her some space to carefully think about the decision and guided her deeper into the apartment by gently nudging the back of her right shoulder in the direction of the hallway with his paw. Convinced that this was all part of a plan of action to help her out, Judy let herself be steered away by Nick trusting that this would help them talk in a more private manner. Nick stepped ahead and opened the door at the very end of the hallway past one other door to the left which lead to a small bathroom leading to the only bedroom inside the apartment, they could talk better over there, Judy looked at Nick and finally decided to ask:

- What's wrong Nick?

The fox took a rapid survey of the room they were now located and spoke:

- Nothing is wrong necessarily but I can already tell that this place caught your eye on the spot.

Judy could not hold her smile back, she placed her paws over both of her cheeks almost as if they were going to hurt by the size of her smile, she answered after calming down a bit:

- Nick this place is a thousand times better than I could possibly have imagined! There is enough space on the walls to hang posters and murals with important investigative data, there is room to place a file cabinet nearby, the kitchen is impeccable and space for shelves to hold all of my books, I can't even…

Nick had a comic smile and a brow raised at the bunny's excitement over what seemed to be nothing but an empty place, he figured that for her it all represented a whole new world of possibilities, after seeing the look he had on his face Judy became silenced for a short time and spoke again showing that she was a tad embarrassed over her enthusiasm from before:

- Sorry. I'm thinking so much ahead and I haven't even decided on the sale. I'm really weird, aren't I?

Nick chuckled and let out his response:

- I wouldn't say "weird", just thrilled to play your paw on a new angle. I understand that better than anyone, there's no need to be apprehensive about it. The thing is, you need to be sure that this is the right place for you, so take your time and make one last check before making sure there is nothing you might come to regret later after you get settle in here, you may have let something crucial slide at first glance.

Judy gave a few steps as she looked to the walls and ceiling, not sure what to look at she turned back at Nick and asked:

- I understand what you mean Nick, but this whole real estate thing is sort of new to me. What am I supposed to be looking for?

Nick made a dismissive gesture with his paws, he understood what Judy was saying and explained as best as he could while leaning against a wall and pointing one of his claws at it to demonstrate what to look for:

- Anything that might decrease the sealer's value of the place or be considered as a hazard, moldy spots, recently covered breaches on the wall, any indication of termites as well, both of which can be identified by hollowed spots inside of the walls or irregularities on the wall paint, exposed wire anywhere in the corners of the rooms, gaps on the floor, the usual stuff that might lend you a disadvantage on the long term purchase of the property.

Paying attention to every single item in Nick's laid down list and heeding his advice to the letter, Judy took all the time she could muster to look for any signs of imperfections that might have been hastily covered up in a sloppy or unsafe manner. She inspected the floors as she took one last stroll around the apartment's perimeter, checked to see if every door and window was up to code, ran her paw on the walls to see if there were any sign of patches made to the original wall layout, she also made sure to check if the pipe work in the kitchen and the bathroom were working properly, aside from a couple of small patches that were made to hide away spots where a few wall shelves were placed by the previous tenant of the place, it was all in order.

Vinnie remained waiting in the living room, Nick approached him and kept exchanging a few conversation pieces, mostly about sports and cars, as Judy surveyed the place for the last time, after giving the last confirmation that everything was in order she approached Vinnie and he asked:

- So… what's the verdict officer Hopps?

- Honestly? I'm almost speechless! The space is great, everything seems to be in working order, I'm certain that this is the place I've been looking for all along and never had the good sense to get.

Vinnie smiled confident that he was about to close the deal, Nick appeared satisfied to know that Judy was well with the place, it did seem to be just the right size for her, as Vinnie grabbed a small black note pad from his back pocket he drew out a few expense estimates and arrived, by his opinion, at a reasonable price:

- Putting it all on the line I say that this place is a 620 dollars take, not including moving and maintenance costs of course.

Judy buried her mind in thoughts about what could be her living conditions in the future if she indeed chose to buy that apartment filling her mind to the brim with pros and cons, taking into consideration the expenses and the effort it would take for her to move all of her belongings and possibly the objects and supplies that her family promised to bring over after she had her mind all set about moving. Her line of thought was suddenly halted as Nick placed his paw over her shoulder and spoke as soon as she looked his way a tad surprised with the abrupt call back to the present time:

- Listen carrots, the choice to pick this place is ultimately yours, just don't be shy about asking for help if you need to make the decision.

Judy let out a little sigh, nodding her head a second after to show Nick that she understood, she closed her eyes for a short second as she let herself relax, she figured that after getting back to work at a more steady pace soon enough she would be able to cover her expenses in no time at all adding to the fact that she still needed to clarify a few more things with documentations at the precinct and statements at city hall. As an effort to not let her mind overload with worries about what might happen in the future, Judy made her final decision then and there:

- Mr. Vinnie, I believe this place is precisely what I am looking for in a living environment, I would like to place a request to rent it and move in as soon as possible.

Vinnie clapped his paws, with an excited look cemented on his muzzle he approached Judy to shake her paw and speak up:

- You are not going to regret this choice officer Hopps, I will get right into preparing the paperwork. As soon as it is all figured out I will give you the number of an awesome moving service to help you out with all the furniture.

Nick intervene on the conversation:

- Actually Vin, you can leave that part to me. I'll get Fin to help out as well.

Vinnie nodded with his head, he commented that he was going to return to his office and get something to eat before getting around to organizing the renting papers, Judy thanked him for his time and walked with Nick out of the building, after crossing two streets on their way they decided to go their separate ways, Nick went back to his place and prepared himself, he was going to have the mother of all speeches delivered if he was going to convince Finnick to help out with moving Judy's belongings to the new place, Judy arrived on her soon to be vacant apartment to call her family and tell her parents the good news, of course the entire Hopps family shares a chatting network online and in less than half an hour there were thousands of notifications of every single one of Judy's brothers and sisters trying to get into helping her out with her change of scenery, it took a sizable effort for her to scroll through them all but she was also really glad so many of them were willing to help out. It was the afternoon's end when Judy had finally finished with organizing all of her text messages and every one of her siblings who wished to help was given a proper response from her, most of them were in charge of transporting some old furniture or some of her belongings that were left back at Bunnyburrow, she was so excited to place this new improvement and having a place that was not only spacious but functional. All of these changes were to happen very soon and she could hardly wait for it.

A whole week passed by, Judy's family lived up to each of their roles in helping her move, a barrage of boxes containing the furniture and belongings addressed to her was delivered and left over at the new address Judy sent out to them all, Vinnie was real quick with the process of organizing the rent out papers and a copy of the front door key was given to her, now just a few things remained to get out of the way. Nick convinced Finnick to help out with the moving by way of transporting the last few boxes that were accidentally taken to Judy's previous address, the small vulpine wasn't too thrilled about the idea especially since he was going to use his precious van to do so, but Nick pleaded and asked so much that Finnick just gave in and decided to help only with the condition that he was not going to do any of the heavy lifting himself.

Judy was waiting inside the cubicle apartment at Shady Oasis during the agreed afternoon when the move was set to happen, she was constantly keeping an eye out the window and on her cellphone, waiting for Nick's signal to arrive, she was really excited for that day, after receiving a text notification on her phone she took her cue and made her final preparations to go. She went to the shower at the end of the hallway and gave herself a quick freshening and putting on a newer set of clothes before returning to the enclosed apartment and giving the boxes and luggage to be transported one final check to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything, meanwhile Nick was exiting Finnick's van and walking up the stairs on his way to Judy's place, he knocked on the door and the bunny swung it open with great speed to salute him and thank him for the fifth time for his invaluable help.

Judy pointed with a finger what were the boxes with marked labels that were to be transported first, Nick rolled up his metaphorical sleeves and started to carry the boxes down the stairs either one or two at a time showing the outmost care on doing so, Finn stayed inside the van waiting for the process to be done, patting his paws on the floor and leaning against the wheel with a face of utter boredom. Fifteen minutes or so were spent fitting each of the carboard containers inside the vehicle on strategic positions so that they wouldn't bag against each other on the way, by the end of that timeframe only Judy's baggage with her regular clothes remained she picked the last bag to be carried out and Nick asked her with a bit of a short breath:

- Is that everything?

Judy smiled and nodded as she answered:

- Yep. All done. Now all that is left is to take it to the new place and empty the boxes out.

Judy exited the room ahead of Nick, she locked the door and was on her way to return it to the land lady when she saw Zephyr and Pronk coming their way while carrying some groceries with them, after placing one good look over the bunny one of them asked:

- Hey, are you moving out today?

Not letting her good mood waver she answered:

- Yes, I'm just on my way out. It was really nice to meet you two, I hope we get to meet again someday.

Judy dashed ahead right towards the stairs and Nick followed at his own lazy pace trying to conserve energy for when he would have to help her unpack, after they were gone Zephyr turned to Pronk and said with a touch of disappointment in his voice:

- Well… there goes the most interesting neighbor we ever had.

- Yeah. I'm kinda glad that she found herself a better place to live but she was by far the nicest neighbor we ever had. Is it weird to say that I'm gonna miss her?

- Meh. Don't worry about it. Maybe our next neighbor will be just as cool as her.

- *Pft*… Yeah, if you don't scare them away with that ugly mug of yours.

The duo retreated back into their apartment to continue their customary argument, Judy went ahead and entered Finnick's van from the back door, Nick called shotgun and sat himself on the passenger seat alongside Finn, the little fox seem to be sleeping as he waited for them to be done with loading everything up as he awoke after hearing Nick slamming the door he turned and asked:

- Is everything there?

Judy popped her head amongst the boxes and answered:

- Everything is in order. We can go now.

- Good. I was sick of waiting anyway.

Finn turned the engine on and his van began to move through the streets, there wasn't much movement so it was going to be a quick trip. To make so that time would go a bit faster on the way to the building Judy decided to throw out some conversation, she looked at Finnick and asked with a lot of curiosity in her tone but not with an invasive volume in her voice:

- So, Finnick, I got to ask: What is up with the air brushed painting on the side of your van?

Sensing that as a chance to boast about his prided vehicle, the little fox answered while passing his paws over the steering wheel:

- You like it? I fished the idea from an old rock band album that I found in my basement a long time ago. Paid top dollar to have a pro artist draw it out for me, worth every penny. Told you that was a great investment Wilde.

Nick smiled and shook his head as he remembered the debate he and Finnick had about actually wasting money to paint the sides of the van with that art, however, despise the fact that the ride was clearly more recognizable as they tried to drive inconspicuously through the streets of Zootopia, the picture turned out quite amazing, even Nick had to admit that. Trying to get more conversation going Judy asked:

- So, have you and Nick known each other for a long time I take it?

Finnick answered:

- I've known this clown for ages. Since we were pups we've been getting into trouble together. Most of those were entirely his fault just to clarify.

- Hm… I imagined as much.

Glad to see that his friends were trading conversation but also a bit peeved with the fact that they were trading smack about him Nick spoke up:

- You two know that I am still sitting right here? Right?

Judy looked his way and gave out an apology while letting a little laughter escape between her teeth:

- Sorry Nick.

- Meh… it's fine carrots. Just saying, you two could show a little sensitivity.

Judy released a small huff from her nostrils as she spoke up in response to him:

- You know? I wish you would stop calling me 'carrots'. It's starting to bug me quite a bit.

- Well, I don't mean any harm by it.

- No, I know that. It just feels like you are trying to get a rise out of me sometimes.

- Well… admittedly, that was my initial intention. You do have this cute little expression when you get angry.

Judy made her paw into a fist and spoke with a dead serious tone directed at the fox:

- Nick, I can take you calling me with silly nicknames, but if you keep calling me cute I will not be responsible for my actions against you.

Nick swallowed some air in face of the bunny's audible threat and quickly apologized as he directed his head at the window close to him:

- Alright. I got it. Sorry about that. It won't happen again.

Judy calmed down and said as she let her threatening paw down:

- Much better.

Impressed on how quick Judy managed to put Nick in line, Finnick cracked a smile and joked to his friend:

- Damn Wilde! She really has you on a short leash doesn't she?

Annoyed at that Nick simply mumbled:

- Shut up and drive.

Judy laughed a little bit from that, the conversation continued with the three of them taking a few comedic shots on each other along the way, Finnick's serious demeaner was constantly being combated by Nick's more chilled and laid back attitude but Judy also found her own way to contribute to the conversation, Finnick felt himself getting bolder during the talk and asked more information about the whole story of the grand adventure around the city that the two passengers inside his van shared since Nick only told bits and pieces during the last few days. Nick placed the summarization of happenings starting with the moments after Judy hustled him but he got a tad annoyed as she continued to poke holes on the fox's wit by launching one retort after the other, precise pointers like how Nick succeeded into persuading Mr. Manchas to talk after mentioning the so called 'Night-Howlers' only to moments later witness as he turned savage and almost mauled him and how he tricked her into going into the DMV on the time when the only mammals attending to the place were all sloths, Finnick almost swayed away from the steering wheel after hearing that with all of the laughter that followed.

After fifteen minutes of conversation and maneuvering around traffic they arrived at the new building, Judy opened the van's back door after noticing that they had reached their destination and thanked Finnick for the talk and for the assistance before exiting the vehicle with a bag and a few smaller boxes in her paws. Finnick remained quiet as he watched Nick exit the van and start to unload some of the other items, Finn didn't really want to admit it, in great part because he never liked saying that Nick was right about something, but the bunny that Nick managed to befriend was likeable, even if she was a cop. After the cardboard boxes were all retrieved and left over the sidewalk to be safely transported over the stairs later, Finnick placed his sunglasses on and drove off into the distance leaving the pair behind to sort out through the unloaded cargo on their own.

Nick went ahead and began to transport the boxes from street level to the apartment up above even catching sights of some of the building inhabitants along his path, Judy helped Nick with the transporting of the boxes and he was thoroughly impressed with the speed and efficiency that the bunny showed, for every box that he managed to get up the stairs she had already conveyed two on the same amount of time. After they were done Nick felt tired but satisfied and happy with the fact that he could help, ready and thrilled with the fact that the moving was finally done and she was about to spend the first official night inside her new home, Judy grabbed the small bundle of keys from her back pocket and swung the front door open leading off to the living room which was now hosting an entire maze of boxes and furniture articles, Nick was rightfully impressed with the sheer amount of things that were put on display to him, not three days ago that apartment was completely hollow and now it looked like a storage unit filled to the brim with paraphernalia, there was even a big couch carefully placed right at the center of the living space.

Judy started to walk into the apartment, attentively navigating through the spaces between each one of the boxes until she arrived at an open spot clear of any impediments in the heart of the room, Nick decided to follow behind her once the feeling of surprise from seeing all of that clutter subsided, he did his best to move across the same trail that she moved previously but he inevitably bumped, squeezed and tripped his way over a few objects along the path. After catching up with Judy, he saw that she was preoccupied with opening one of the boxes that he helped bring over and carefully separating its contents on the floor with extreme care, he bent his body down slightly to watch it more carefully and asked:

- Where did all of *this* come from anyway?

As Judy was just emptying the box in front of her, she turned to Nick and answered with a rather annoyed timbre in her voice:

- My family wanted to help with the moving so a few of them sent a few things to help me get better situated in the new place.

Nick noticed the sarcastic tone she employed when she spoke of the 'few' things her family delivered her, he took another scope of the place and all of the boxes laying around as Judy raised from the ground and started pointing out to every one of them in clear sight and explaining their origins:

- My sister Samantha made her mission to share my plans to move with all of my siblings and all of them made sure to give me a helping paw in some way, shape or form. Otto, one of my older brothers, sent me that stand and a small terracotta pot with a little shrub to brighten up the place, Dianna sent me my old notebooks and crime novels but she crammed all of them in a bunch of different boxes and completely messed up with my organization system, Wilbur sent me a new book shelf that's inside that big dark box over there, of course he is the prankster in the family so the assembling instructions are in Swedish...

Nick was delighted as he heard every single detail about the little bunny's family and their dedication to assist and infuriate her all at once with their help, he figured all of that was really sweet especially paired with the fact that he always wanted to have a big family of his own, Judy continued her explanation as she made her way to another box so grand in size that even he could fit inside of it with plenty of elbow room, she hopped inside the box and finished her explanation:

- … And, of course, my parents sent me all of my clothes… even the ones I don't use any more.

Nick watched as she ruminated throughout the contents of the big cardboard receptacle and contained his urge to speak of how cute she looked while pouting and mumbling as she tried her best to organize the articles of clothing scattered inside, he decided to come closer and give her a positive spin out on that:

- Well… I think it's great how your family helped you out, plus, there is no need to worry about the excess of things in your way. If there is anything in there that you are definitely not going to need any more you could always donate it. There are plenty of places around Zootopia that take donations for mammals that don't have much in terms of clothing and other personal belongings.

Judy's ears perked up as she heard that idea that seemed so splendid and obvious in perspective, she rose from the box and said:

- That's actually a great idea. I might look into doing just that.

With a full smile on his face Nick continued to talk:

- My mom always told me: "If you don't want it or need it, there is some mammal out there who probably does."

Nick extended his arm towards her, offering a helping paw to assist Judy in getting out of the box she put herself in, she accepted his help and was hoisted up shortly after as the fox lifted her up with one arm and placed her back on the ground as if it was no big deal at all. After being safely put back on solid ground, Judy cleared her throat, adjusted her shirt and walked in the direction of another group of boxes neatly stacked on top of each other with the intent to open them one at a time and continue on her task. She removed the box at the very top of the stack and removed the duct tape keeping it closed, she kneeled down to identify and separate the contents of the small container in her possession. Nick followed behind and watched as she returned to her task, he also took the time noticing that the presented moment was a key opportunity to ask her the thing that was nagging at his mind for a while now. He put his paws together in front of him as Judy's eyes were directed on the task ahead of her and spoke up:

- So… carrots, I've actually been meaning to ask you something.

Without averting her eyes from the recently opened box containing a small stack of dishes wrapped carefully inside scraps of newspaper she asked with a cheery tone:

- What's on your mind slick?

Making an unseen motion with his paws as if he was forcibly trying to give his raciocinium a push in the right direction, Nick proceeded to ask:

- Let's say that 'some' mammal wanted to become an officer of the ZPD… what would this particular mammal have to do in order to accomplish that?

Judy stopped taking the dishes out of the box in front of her as she was doing before, her right ear twitched to the side and her movements were halted when she was hit with that curious inquiry derived from the fox right behind her. His speech patterns were different and she noticed that on the spot, that question came out of nowhere and her first instinct was to ask him:

- Why would you want to know that?

Trying to fashion a half-baked but sort of believable excuse, Nick answered her:

- Not much of a reason, just… regular curiosity, that's all. For the sake of argument, what are the requirements for a mammal, not naming anyone in particular here, to become a full-fledged cop?

Judy didn't want to say it at the time but she could see right through that question, Nick tried to keep his cool, leaning against a small wooden chair close to him, Judy raised herself from the ground and adjusted the wrinkles left on her shirt by passing both her paws over the fabric, after getting ready, she began explaining by saying:

- That very much depends on the kind of officer the mammal in question wants to be.

- How… many kinds of cop can it be out there?

Judy walked closer to Nick with a small opened box in her grasp, her provocative stare was showing, in truth, she was in full on analytic mode, studying the fox as he let more and more facets of his true intentions show up at every turn on the moment. She took a quick breath, placed the box over the couch and kept explaining as she laid out some examples:

- Most mammals take parts in the administration sector of the ZPD, these mammals handle public relations, archive administration, evidence management and reports, it is not a very exciting position but it is vital for the maintenance of each precinct; there are the forensic scientists that carry out in-depth investigations about the crime scenes and the psyche of criminals and their different Mo.'s; some of the more seasoned officers can choose to become detectives, these are the ones in charge of gathering evidence and contacts around the streets, most times these are the first mammals at the scene of the crime but they operate by a different set of rules than your average police officer.

Making mental notes of each different type of law enforcer presented to him, Nick asked with a noticeable touch of intrigue:

- What kind of cop are you carrots?

Judy leaned herself over the couch she put her paws back and propelled her body over the reasonably tall cushion behind her with a hop, after getting set over the seat she adjusted her back over the repost and gestured with her paws in the air, almost as if she had a simple diorama in front of her to demonstrate her role as an officer:

- I'm a patrol officer. Which by definition means that I am assigned to patrols and support around the streets to answer calls and give assistance to any mammal who needs it. Granted, I didn't receive any ground breaking cases to solve since I've returned to work at precinct one but it has been nice to take it slow these last few days.

Nick chuckled as he recalled all of the buzz that still surrounded the mention of her very name, he let go of the chair on which he was posing his body and walked closer to the cushioned furniture where she was seated speaking:

- You call all of the fuzz around you 'slow'?! I don't think there is a reporter, blogger or tabloid writer that wouldn't give an arm and a leg for a chance to talk to you.

Immediately after hearing that she opted to let that particular conversation piece slide, shrugging his comment off but also letting out a small bashful giggle as her face turned around and her eyes drifted away to not face him directly, Judy took some time to not let the blush build up on her cheeks become noticeable and, as she turned around, she was faced with the vulpine sitting on a cushion right next to her on the couch. Nick simply got comfortable over the couch that, upon further analysis, was much bigger than it needed to be, apparently summarized by her legs that could barely reach the floor, he turned for the bunny beside him and asked:

- So… is there any special requirements to get in the ZPD line-up or is there some sort of form you need to fill first?

Judy shook her head and answered:

- If you really want to be an officer of any kind you're going to have to go above and beyond Nick.

Surprised by the sudden realization, Nick scooched away from her over the seat and said:

- Me?! What about me?! Why… did you mention 'Me' all of a sudden?!

Judy's look directed at him already said it all, Nick watched as she simply raised from her seat with a decisive skip and walked through the room as if she was back on her previous task, only this time it appeared like she was on the search for an object in particular. Nick didn't get his tail off the seat, he merely watched as Judy got up thinking that the conversation was simply over, just like that, he decided to pull the subject back by asking with a cocky tone:

- Well, okay. Let's say that I would be interested in joining the ZPD, how hard can it be?

- Very.

A single word from Judy was enough to drop a heavy dose of silence over the room, her tone was somber, the seriousness plastered over her brief but direct response was enough to make Nick get taken aback by it, she had no hesitation and there was absolute assurance on her voice, he approached her again with slow paces and without saying a word, after it looked like Judy hadn't yet found what she was looking for, closing the box with a small sigh, she completely turned around to face him again and say:

- Nick, look at me.

Not sure of what that was all about, Nick stood still in front of her with his muzzle hanging open until she explained herself:

- I'm a bunny. I am small. Most mammals that I encountered along my way told me that my ambitions of becoming an officer were unattainable, that I should just give it all up and return to the family's farm.

Nick adjusted his tie with a nervous motion as the sunken feeling hit him signaling that the conversation entered really personal territory. Judy decided to go on with her words:

- I am not an idiot Nick, I am well aware that I have physical limitations that don't make me as intimidating as the other officers patrolling around town. I don't have claws, fangs, horns, thick skin or even the ability to see in the dark, but what I do have plenty of is determination, so I took it along with all the time I could spare and worked three times fiercer than any other mammal around me. After helping at the farm I spent three consecutive nights without any sleep as I reviewed procedures of the police manual, I spent every morning for two whole months running drills and studying combat tactics, before I knew it I had the entire itinerary of the academy on lock and I was graduating at the very top of my class as the first bunny assigned to the very heart of Zootopia, my childhood dream coming to life.

Nick could hardly bear the sight in front of him, the bunny's amethyst eyes filling with delight and sending shivers through his body. He marveled as she recalled all of the hardships that lead her to become a police officer and disproving all of the slander she had to endure on her way to the top. He stayed stationary and silent as Judy went on her way to another corner of the room to roam into a new pile of closer cartons in search of something she knew it was there… somewhere. Nick followed her, getting the sense that her tale wasn't over just yet, true to his suspicions she continued to speak:

- To become a fully fledged officer of the law there is a thorough check and an entire month of preparation before getting accepted in the academy ranks, you need to go through the most rigorous of trainings and to be an officer from precinct one you don't have to simply pass the test, you have to leave your mark and you have to do it in your own way.

Nick was rightfully impressed with those words, he had no idea that she had to do so much for something like that. Prior to that speech his perspective on the matter was of something minor, another moment teaching him to not under mind or underestimate the bunny based solely on her size and appearance, a mistake that he imagined many other mammals did in the past and came to regret it.

Nick kept thinking in silence as Judy kept on the look out for the object she had set in her mind, that instant of null reverberation within the room was cut thin by the sound of a single and adorable *gasp* as Judy finally found the item she was searching for, a small wooden box with a silver lock shaped like a little shield, she pressed the indentation on the lock and the box opened without any issues aside from a small cricking of the metal latch moving with the motion, she roamed inside the trinkets within the receptacle until she found a small paper fold located at the very bottom of the box, she retrieved it, closed the box and returned it to its original place. Judy turned to Nick once again, the fox, noticing that he had stayed silent for too long already, asked:

- What's that?

Judy looked at the piece of paper folded in her paw, she simply gave it to Nick as an answer hopping he would see for himself, the fox picked the paper and began to unfold it, after the paper was completely unfolded he realized what it was, it was an employment form to fill for mammals interested in joining the ZPD, except this one was already filled halfway, clearly marked with nice organized writing, the paper had his name, his height, his weight and there was a space down to list his special skills and a marked box asking about previous summons from the police force of Zootopia, this last one had a marking for the box assigned as 'Yes' but was hastily corrected for the box marked 'No'.

It took no time at all to daunt on Nick that he had seen that same paper before, it was the same application he had filled on the day Judy asked him to consider joining the force and be her partner, the same day when he walked out on her after the press conference one month ago, although now the paper was showing signs of worn out specially along the edges and the spots where it was folded, meaning it had been carried around, opened and closed a number of times. Hit by what felt like a truck full of emotion he turned the paper to her and asked:

- Carrots… is this… ?

Judy raised her paws and answered before he could finish the question:

- I know this is super sappy. But I wanted something to remember you by, this was the only thing around at the time.

- No. That's… actually really sweet of you.

Nick was really touched by that act, he gave the paper back to Judy, explaining that he was probably going to need to fill out a new application for the job anyway. The rest of the day went on with a moderate pace, Nick continued inquiring about Judy's passion for her job as an officer and he slowly started to get it, her remarkable optimism was like an entire new point of view for him, the fox took all the time he could spare that day to help Judy unpack and get all of her things in order, the only thing they had trouble with was the book shelf that was left inside the box until they could find the instructions to assemble it in a language they understood.

As they were getting through the last of the boxes in two respective corners of the room the sun had already set and the apartment was looking more and more like an exceptional place to live, Judy decided to ask:

- Nick do you really want to become an officer? Are you sure about this?

Using one claw to rip through the layer of duct tape keeping the last box open, Nick answered:

- That is quite the decision for me to make carrots, even with all of the things you explained me I need to take some time and get a few things in order before deciding on it.

Judy nodded and launched a retort to him:

- I understand that, I am only asking that because choosing to be a ZPD officer is not something that you can just decide to do and then later give up on it. Even with a good word from me, getting into the academy is going to be the easiest part of the whole deal. You may take all the time you need Nick, it is a hard path to walk on once the training begin.

Reassured by her words and determined to seek the right choice, Nick fully opened the last box and was met with a surprising item hidden inside, as she heard a loud chuckle coming from behind her, Judy asked:

- What's so funny?

Nick reached into the box and took out of it a small plush bunny dressed with a navy blue attire and adorned with a plastic shield on its chest colored to look like a gold insignia, he showed the plush toy in his paw to her shaking it in the air and asked with a mocking tone:

- Are you going to introduce me to your 'fellow officer' carrots?

Judy was astonished and launched an audible gasp filled with nostalgia after laying her eyes on the toy, she tried to reach for it but Nick took the little memento out of her reach. Purely out of impulse she spoke up:

- Officer Hugs?! I don't believe it! Samantha must have found him!

Nick almost busted into laughter after hearing the plush critter's name. He asked letting out some hilarity escape his muzzle:

- 'Officer Hugs'?! Seriously fluff?

- Nick! Give him here! Please!

Judy jumped high up to try reaching the toy and take it out of Nick's paws, despite Nick's best efforts to keep teasing her by keeping it out of her reach she jumped high enough to snag it eventually, she hugged the little plushie in her arms and explained:

- He was a gift. When I was a kid I got him from my birthday from officer Mc. Gruff.

Nick searched his memories as he knew he had heard that name before, with his eyes shot open with surprise he asked as there were still some laughs coming out between his teeth:

- Wait! 'Mc. Gruff'?! As in 'Mc. Gruff the crime dog'?! The Blood hound police dog from those old television commercials?!

With a bashful tone and the toy still being held in her arms Judy answered:

- During a birthday at my old school, we received a visit from him, I know that it was probably not the real officer Mc. Gruff from television, but it was still an amazing day at school, he made a big presentation about crime prevention and the advert effects of narcotics, he spoke about violence and accidents that can happen at home and right by the end of the presentation he came close to me and gave me this little guy. That was the best birthday I ever had.

Nick could only watch and marvel at her with a paw over his muzzle attempting to hide his enormous smile at the time, she released a long sigh and said with an unenthusiastic tone:

- Go ahead, make a joke about it.

Resisting the urge to crack a funny jest at her, he simply bent over to get a closer look and said:

- Not this time carrots. I spent a good portion of my day helping you out and I am literally too tired to make a joke. I got some other important things to take care off, after that I'll get in touch with you to confirm my decision.

Going on his way to exit the apartment, Nick opened the door and started closing it behind him before stopping midway to ask:

- You have everything in here figured out?

Still hugging the plush toy, she looked at him and answered:

- I'll be fine, take your time and think on it.

- Alright. I'm gonna take off for now. See you later carrots.

Nick wished the bunny good bye and exited the building, Judy took one deep breath and wandered around her new apartment for a couple of times with an excited laugh until she simply tossed her body over the bed in her new room and decided to take a quick nap with a satisfied smile on her face. Nick thought about heading back home but, halfway to his building, he stopped walking and figured his head was just too full to go to just relax and go to sleep that night, he picked his cellphone from his back and called Finnick asking if he had the time to get a beer, maybe talk for a bit, since Finnick was not the kind of mammal to say no to a free round of drinks the little fox agreed on the spot and was set to meet Nick in the usual place.

Walking with a slow set of steps, with his paws and his pockets and a perplexed look in his eyes, Nick strode through and across the sidewalks believing he could have it all figured out by the end of the night and that a few rounds of beer would make the choice to turn his life around in such a drastic way easier. He was hopeful that he would find a way to make it work like he always did, but he needed to put on the effort, much more effort than he had ever done in his entire life.

Author's note: Things seem bleak right now, but the spirit of solidarity that I see in others gives me hope that things will get better soon. I'll get beck to doing what I love with my stories, my games and my drawings and take some time to do my part as well. Until I see you all again, keep up with the incredible support and don't hesitate in leaving a comment to let your oppinion be known.

Good bye and stay safe.