The new tales from Zootopia

by Vindictive456

This story is a well thought out work of fan-fiction that will cover in moderate pace how Judy came back to the force and convinced Nick to be her partner, Nick's training to become an officer and his days at the academy, a weird new case involving corrupt mammals and a new dangerous drug, all of that sprinkled with the growing love between Zootopia's favorite pair of officers.

7. Episode 7: Making a change

Author's notes: Hey everyone, it's Valiant and I'm back for more. It feels like an eternity since I last placed a chapter here, I have been dealing with a few other minor projects that I've left behind and I also have been fighting with the mother of all headaches. At any rate, I made some minor reviews on past chapters and decided to give them a little overhaul, the chapters are still the same, just dealt with a few ortographic misshaps and add in some details that went over my head on the first try, I also heeded the feedback of some of you and decided to make the paragraphs smaller and easier to digest. On that note... YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING! My story just crossed the 1,000 mark and that has me ready for bigger and better story events in the future. With all of that out of the way, enjoy the reading and stay awesome.

Episode 7: Making a change

'The Matriarch' was the name of an amazing bar, a spacious establishment with a well recognizable neon sign out by the front door which lead to a bellow ground level area where mammals of different sizes could come in to enjoy a cold drink and escape from the nagging worries of everyday life or simply hang out with a few friends by the soothing sounds of the last known surviving juke box in Zootopia, tossing darts or playing cards, for the longest time this has been the chosen spot for Nick and Finnick to sit, drink and talk about hustles and schemes, only this time the talk was about something completely different.

The place was nearly packed to the brim that night, with mammals passing by and having a great time, Nick was sitting on one of the stools in front of the bar staring down his glass as if an answer was going to show up if he looked for it hard enough, Finnick, sitting right next to him, was already on his second helping of beer using a set of mugs that were quite big for a mammal his size. As the fennec fox was halfway done with his mug, he looked at his friend who barely touched the first glass, he called Nick's attention by poking his shoulder and spoke up:

- What's up your tail this time?

Nick, hearing his comrade's voice, was pulled out of his own head, still getting his bearings on the moment he looked at Finn and asked:

- Hm…?! What?

Realizing that Nick didn't even heard his initial question, Finn returned to ask:

- What's wrong with you now? You didn't even get past your first swig, I'm drinking alone over here and you know what I think about drinking alone.

- You drink alone all the time.

- Yes I do. That doesn't mean I enjoy it.

Nick released a sigh and, at long last, took one long swig of his mug until it was left completely empty. After laying the hollowed glass over the counter he made a signal with his right paw to the female tiger who was left to tend to the bar that night, she immediately understood it as the cue to bring Nick another glass. After his glass was refilled however, Nick simply returned to staring at it again like he was almost compelled to keep doing it. Fed up with the downing mood of his friend, Finnick spoke up:

- C'mon Wilde! What the hell is eating you up now?! Is this about her again?

Nick's ear twitched to the side but his face didn't turn to face Finnick, not immediately, he raised his head and started speaking:

- What am I going to do Finn? A month ago before the whole city started going to hell, I was so sure that I could be a cop and watch her back, now I'm not sure of anything.

Letting out a sigh but still determined to make Nick feel a little better, Finnick spoke again while poking his friends shoulder with noticeable strength:

- I'm not gonna go through this same shit with you all over again!

Not necessarily picking up on what his friend was saying, all Nick could do was ask:

- What?!

- When you and that bunny got into a discussion it was just like this, with you soaking yourself up in self-doubt. Here I am trying to enjoy a drink and you keep ruining it with your constant sulking of yours. What is it that you really want Wilde?

Surprised but not very taken aback by his friend's reaction to his current mood, Nick took a little while to think as Finnick took one long swig from the mug placed in front of him. Still seated and with his nerves wavering inside his head, Nick gathered some confidence and answered:

- I want to keep helping her, show her that her hopes in me aren't misplaced and that she can still count on my support. She thinks that I can do it Finn. She thinks that I have a shot, a legitimate chance in becoming a cop.

- Then just suck it up and go do it already.

Nick didn't even gave too much mind to Finnick's opinion at the time, the fox merely stared into his glass once more as he turned his thoughts around and spoke:

- But if she's wrong about me I'll just end up making a fool out of myself. Like I've done it so many times before. I'll let her down and tons of effort will be all for nothing.

Finnick made a signal with his right paw asking the bar tender for another hit of beer, after putting his paw down he spoke up to Nick once more:

- Then just quit it all together, tell her you're not interested and don't do it.

Nick wasn't very happy with the answers that were presented to him, shooting an unsatisfied side look at Finnick he was half convinced that the small fox had no real intent of helping him. Releasing a somewhat frustrated puff of air from his nose, Nick turned to speak:

- You know? You're not really helping me in this particular situation.

- That's cause I ain't trying to help you.

Not understanding the comment at first, Nick raised a brow as he looked at Finnick scoffing down another dose of beer down his throat. It never ceased to amaze Nick how much alcohol his friend was able to take inside his body without any immediate adverse effects despise his small body type. After the entire mug in Finnick's paw was empty he placed it over the counter and released a satisfied exhale before turning to Nick and speaking his mind:

- If you're looking for an answer about whatever you should do with your life from me you're not gonna get a satisfactory one. The only one that can get your life to move on the right track again is you and only you, so quit your bitching, go do something and if you don't like what you get out of it than that's your own damn problem.

Nick heard all of the rash opinions being made and delivered by Finn, he was rather impressed with his friends standing on the matter, even if Finnick only came there for a cold drink his words were of great help for Nick to ease and make up his mind. Launching one last look over his glass, Nick spoke:

- I guess… you do have a point.

- Of course I do. It just takes a while for it to get across.

Despise the crude way Finnick often chose to give advice Nick had to recognize that it was still good advice. Judy believed in him to do the right thing and he did so many times already during the last weeks, even if he had no self interest in store during these acts he did his best to stand by and help her out. He felt good in doing so and there was no reason for him to quit standing by her and no one that was stopping him from taking the right decision for his life. With a renewed smile of confidence, Nick took one long swig of his beer and relaxed over his seat, he reached into his wallet and left a twenty dollar bill over the counter before turning over to Finnick and saying:

- Here, the next round is on me.

After saying that, Nick took a short hop to get off from the stool and began walking out of the bar. Not really understanding what got into his friend at that moment Finnick asked:

- Where the hell are you going now?!

Before disappearing amidst the other bigger mammals of the crowd who were too busy enjoying the evening to even notice the fox darting amidst them, Nick turned around and shouted so that Finnick could hear him making his way out:

- I need to prepare. I've got to make some changes and it all starts with myself.

Nick exited the bar, climbing the stairs on to street level by skipping one step at time to save time leaving Finnick behind at the bar, scratching his head with worry and doubt about what exactly Nick was going to do. Finnick didn't give it too much thought, after his friend was gone the little fox simply returned to order one more round of beer for himself with the money Nick left him over the counter. Curious about the happenings taking place there tonight, the slim figure of the female tiger taking the hold of the bar for the night approached and asked:

- Where did your friend go? Was there something wrong with the drinks?

Taking the freshly filled mug in his paws, the little fox answered with a sassy tone of voice:

- The drinks are fine. He just went on his way to take care of some things.

Still a bit concerned and willing to give the best service she could, the tiger returned to ask after taking another glance at the bar's exit:

- Is he gonna be okay?

- I'm not his babysitter to keep track of all the dumb shit that he gets himself into. Don't worry about him, he doesn't look like much but he is a clever guy, plus, he can take care of himself.

As Finnick continued reveling in the drinks and silently wondering if his cohort was about to get into something way over his head, Nick went back to his apartment with his mind set in organizing a few of the things that he might need for the next day. He was going over a simple plan and he had no idea how it was all going to end for him, but if he was going to truly become a new kind of mammal, turn over a new leaf in his life and prove without a shadow of a doubt that he could overcome anything, he had to start somewhere.

Nick went to bed early, he stayed checking a few useless apps in his phone until he fell asleep and his mind was still somewhat full of worry, tomorrow Judy was going to return fulltime to her job at precinct one and he was going to set things right in his life starting at Tundra Town.

---

Nick woke up earlier than he was used to on the next day, he went to the kitchen and brewed himself a full pot of coffee, he pulled a seat near the kitchen table and began to mess around on his phone as he waited for the hot beverage to get ready for consumption with anticipation, tapping his paws on the wooden floor, only to moments later pour three cup and scarf them down one after the other with the thought he was getting ready when in truth he was merely procrastinating. He wanted to feel ready and completely sure of how his routine was going to be, he started by trying to relax his mind and body, which was rather hard with all the caffeine coursing through his system at that time. Doing his best to ease his nerves he grabbed his phone and shot a message to Judy who launched an answer just a few seconds later:

Nick: Yo, carrots. How is it going?

Judy: Hi Nick. Good morning. ;-)

Nick: Did you get to the ZPD already?

Judy: Yes. Arrived earlier today. Everyone welcomed me back. I'm just getting my things ready to start the day.

Nick: Any off-record news about the antidote for the Night-howler serum?

Judy: I've heard that the lab guys are getting closer by the hour on developing a working anti-serum. We welcomed this new forensics scientist that has some amazing theories on the whole thing. She is really cool.

Nick: Great! Good to hear it.

Nick launched his head back while releasing a long puff of air from his mouth, he was still gathering courage for what he had ahead of him, understandably, no one could blame him. It was his idea to begin his new life as an officer training under Judy's guidance and to start it all off by having a serious conversation with one of the most dangerous mammals around, Mr. Big, as he was known, was famous for tossing anyone who lied or cheated him out of a deal into the cold waters of the bay in Tundra Town, no cinderblock shoes needed, the icy cold waters could immobilize and drag a lesser mammal down to his demise more efficiently than any rock apparatus suggested by any other run of the mill gangster. As Nick recalled the many times he was almost caught by Mr. Big's goons, his phone sounded a little bell alerting him to the arrival of a new message, he got right on it to reply:

Judy: Thanks for all of your help yesterday and the advice to donate the things I won't need any more. I will do some research later today.

Nick: Think nothing of it carrots. I'm glad I could help you out. Just wish I could've done a little more.

Judy: You've done so much already. Take a moment to rest up. I will be busy the rest of the day so you don't have to be concerned with any of my problems for the time being.

Nick: If you say so. I gotta go now. Got a full day ahead of me today.

Judy: I'm heading out too. Bogo just dropped a big pile of documents in front of me. Not looking forward to it.

Nick let out a little chuckle and presented a farewell to her:

Nick: Okay. See you later fluff.

Judy: Bye. :-)

Nick placed the phone over the table and went towards the bathroom to give his fur a quick once over and certify that everything was in order, as he buttoned his shirt all the way and adjusted his tie over it, he thought to himself while looking in the mirror:

"Well, if it all goes wrong, at least it's going to happen with me looking my best."

After retrieving a coat from the hanger near his door, grabbing his phone and storing it in his back pocket, he grabbed his wallet and walked out the door thoroughly locking it behind him. It was a long way to Tundra Town but Nick felt up for it.

After catching a subway train that went outside the Savana's domain and exiting by the far reaches of Sangeli station, Nick was embraced by the cold air of the Tundra, the chilling breeze may have been aggressive when the slide doors of the subway opened but Nick was used to it at that point. A great deal of his business ventures were spent going around that particular part of Zootopia and he didn't even need a lot of protection against the cold climate thanks to his thick natural coat, the only times that he needed to wear any additional layer of clothing for protection is when he needed to remain inconspicuous to the drones and thugs of the crime boss who had eyes and ears located in positions all around key points of the district and who also had a reasonable vendetta against him, it filled him with a certain dread to think that he was headed right to the same mammal's doorstep of his very own volition.

Walking around Tundra Town was no small feat to undergo, the frigid district was bombarded on a daily basis by the weather system and only artic mammals who actually chose to live in those conditions were well accustomed to pass through the snow riddled streets, Nick, however, was a special exception. During his younger days he used to run away to Tundra Town very often to slide down the snow mounds and frozen walkways, it was during one of these rebellious outings from home that Nick unintentionally dropped into the world circumventing the mafia families from Zootopia and developed a sort of relationship with one in particular.

Finding himself lost, alone and chilled to the bone in Tundra Town, he was suddenly found sitting by the sidewalk, Nick was not a pup back then but he was still not a full on adult quite yet, on that unexpected chance he caught the eye of Madam Edna Breonna, Mr. Big's mother and the one who kept tabs over the crime family alongside her son. Taking pity on what seemed like a small vulpine with nowhere to go or be, she took Nick to the manor by the northeast corner of the Tundra and treated him to some food, after that day Nick made a point to come over every so often and get his bearings on how certain business and underground operations worked, sure enough it was clear that this particular life style, filled with peril and secrecy, was not meant to him.

After gathering all of the intel that he needed to make a living on his own, he decided to go away and make a living by putting his own twist on performing different services around all of Zootopia, being attentive to cover most of his bases and remain over the line of the law, it was one of these jobs that ended on a massive misunderstanding. After Madam Edna passed away and special arrangements had to be made for her funeral, Nick ended up stuck with the wrong order for a cover rug and, long story short, she was buried down with a rug made out of a skunk's fur. Infuriated by that, Mr. Big forced Nick to hightail it away from the Tundra and never show his face to him or any of his employees ever again. That Is… until he met Judy and her investigation took him right back to the reaches of the crime boss who ended up being forgiving since, during a heated chase around the district of Little Rodentia, Judy saved the life of the daughter of the influential shrew crime boss.

Fru-Fru was set to get married only the day after and she walked into the room right on time to stop Nick and Judy from being dropped into the arms of a cold demise and also letting everyone in that room know that the bunny was someone who really cared for others and was willing to go out of her way to show it, something Mr. Big definetly respected. So, either it was luck or some sort of cosmic joke on his behalf, Nick thanked his lucky stars that he met Judy and that she was there to save his fur ever since.

Moving at a steady pace on his way out of the station, Nick found himself right in front of the iron gates leading to the property belonging to Mr. Big, the snow o the drive way was nicely shoveled aside and there were tire marks leading inside and showing the main limo parked just in front of a garage, sure fire sign that the big boss himself was home that afternoon. All that was left for Nick to do was touch the electronic bell and ask for a word, only it appeared as if he was having problem with that. As his paw was inches away from pressing the button at the gate his arm froze up in place, he kept trying but it just seemed like he wasn't able to do it, somewhat outraged by his inability to act on such a crucial moment:

- C'mon Wilde, you got this. Just ring the bell and ask to have a word with him.

Nick's paw retreated as he argued back to himself:

- A "Word"?! That's so stupid! No one comes just to have a "word" with him!

Nick started pacing and, as he turned around to pace back and forth, he kept arguing with himself:

- Just do it! You're already here.

Another turn:

- This is crazy! He's going to ice me on the spot!

And another one:

- He's not gonna do that. Judy wouldn't allow that.

Yet another:

- Maybe I can just walk out and come back another time.

Nick stopped himself in a stand of attention as he turned to the gate and made his mind:

- No! No more stalling. I'm just gonna do it and get it over with!

As Nick finally gathered enough will to press the button a loud snarly sound of a big mammal clearing his throat stopped him:

- 'Ahem'!

Nick turned around and was met with three huge polar bears, all three of them snappily dressed and placed in a way to practically surround him, surprised but not astonished with the fact that his approach to the estate attracted such attention, Nick put his paws in his pockets and cumprimented each one of them:

- OH! Hi there fellas. How are you doing?

One of the polar enforcers, the tallest one among them located by Nick's left side, had his arms crossed and was staring over the fox with an intense glare, obviously they had met before. In a futile attempt to not stir any nerves up Nick saluted each one from left to right:

- Hey there Kevin, you're looking fit. Bruce, great to see you. And you…

Nick halted a pointing claw over the last bear of the line-up as it hit him only then that that last mammal was not known by him:

- I'm sorry, I don't think we've met before.

Decided to cut the chatty fox short, Kevin spoke up:

- That's Bernie's cousin, Herold. He's new.

- Oh, cool.

The newest bear to enlist as an enforcer for Mr. Big didn't have much of an intimidating air, it was obvious to see that he only entered into the crime organization for about a week or two as he simply cumprimented Nick and asked:

- Why were you arguing with yourself?

Feeling a bit embarrassed at that time, Nick softly face pawed himself and answered:

- It's sort of a copping mechanism. I'm trying to quit doing it very often.

Kevin turned his head in Herold's direction as to give him a clear indication to quit talking and keep his best appearance as an intimidating force. After silencing the recruit, the big polar bear turned his eyes back to Nick and asked without deferring from the coercion factor he was putting out initially:

- What are you doing here Wilde? Without that bunny around to cover you, the boss is going to ice you without a thought!

Nick showed the palm of both his paws as a sign that he was not looking for any sort of trouble and spoke up:

- I did not come here in search of any problems, I'm here to have a conversation with him. After my mind is spoken, I'll be on my way.

Kevin approached Nick, looming over him almost like a dark cloud, with his paws on his pockets the bear looked over Nick and said:

- I'm afraid that is not how this works Wilde. You really should've known this by now.

- Oh, I knew it. Just figured it was worth a shot.

Kevin pointed a claw at Nick and spoke with a serious, also possibly threatening, tone of voice:

- You're lucky the boss instructed us to bring in any mammal that needs to relay information to him personally, if it were up to me we would give you the boot and drop your tail to freeze on the pavement right here and now.

Kevin showed a signal with his right paw and the iron gates opened just enough so they could get in, being escorted by the three artic goons, Nick walked ahead at a calm pace with an optimistic line of thought. All things considered he wanted to get inside anyway, it mattered little that he had a trio of enforcers breathing down his neck, at least he was on his way to say what he needed to say. Passing over the front yard of the estate, which had both the pathway and the large shrubs placed on both sides covered with a thin layer of snow, the four mammals approached the enormous house by the left side of the main manor.

The house, which was small in size when compared to the main building, had a door leading to a long hallway with walls adorned with images that ranged from portraits of Zootopia to small family pictures that had been neatly framed and organized.

Nick remembered many corners of the property as he was being escorted ahead on the path and occasionally being nudged on to keep a steady move, that wing of the house where most offices and work quarters were located was kept at a temperature similar to the tundra climate outside, there were a few icicles forming by the edges of the windows and small pockets of snow in the corners, such conditions assured that every mammal with artic physiology was kept comfortably within the indoors environment and it also gave the place a particular air of dread and menace. The carpet, neatly placed over the floor, showed signs that it had been clean recently, but the one aspect of the hallway that truly called Nick's attention was the black door coming right ahead, Mr. Big's main office.

After the dark wooden door swung open, the sight of the office with a small revolving chair resting over the center table was shown and a seasoned voice was heard coming from it, the voice of a senile shrew having an argument over the phone:

- Mathias, I told you hundreads of times. If you truly wish for the renovations to happen then you need to talk it out with the main board of directors from the building association.

- …

- I do not care if they are expensive. Either you get it done by the book or you don't get it done at all. I already had too many inspectors breathing down my neck because of improper building codes and I'll be damned if I get anymore leases because of it.

- …

- Very well. See to it Mathias.

There was the audible clicking sound of the call being ended followed by the squeaking noise of the chair turning around to show the face of the small shrew known to the rest of Zootopia as Mr. Big, quite the ironical choice of name actually except is quite believable no one had the courage to point that out.

The shrew was sitting comfortably on his chair made with custom design just for him and his worn out back, he was dressed in his usual pinstriped attire complemented by a silky tie and a small pocket handkerchief in his left lapel. His expression was rather stoic with his furry mug giving out that thousand yard stare, or at the very least trying to since a lot of his fur covered his eyes, but it was still quite clear that he could see very well. Finally, to ensure the image was full, there was his voice, commanding respect from every single mammal around him and earning it, Mr. Big had a soothing voice that got his point across with porpoise and clarity even with low volume in his tone, nevertheless he did not need to shout to be heard. As he saw Nick being shoved right in front of him, a sight he believed wouldn't be seen so soon, his brows raised and he spoke out:

- Well, well, well. Now this is a fine surprise.

Kevin placed himself right beside Nick and pointed a thumb claw right at him as he explained to Mr. Big:

- We found him right by the entrance sir, said he wanted to talk to you.

To which Herold, who entered the room last, complemented:

- He was indecisive, practically arguing with himself like a lunatic.

Not wanting to seem like an unhinged individual and hearing the small laughs of the other goons near him, Nick placed his retort by repeating himself:

- It's a coping mechanism!

Nick returned his attention ahead, meeting right with the judgmental gaze of the shrew who seemed to be looking for whatever small reason to simply dispose of the fox and be done with him already. Mr. Big, keeping his skepticism in check, merely extended his right paw and Nick got it as a signal to approach him and kiss one of the small rings placed on the shrew's fingers, after that small customary bit was done, Mr. Big made a gesture with his left paw and asked:

- You were quite lucky on the last two times you came to me Nick. I thought you would have the common sense to not return to this office alone. And yet, here you are again.

A bit nervous about that fact and realizing how terrified he really was inside, Nick tried to cut the metaphorical ice by simply saying:

- Yeah… I'm guessing fate is getting a real rise out of me as of late.

- Indeed.

With a new gesture from his right paw, Mr. Big asked Kevin to come closer and stand by his side, Kevin comprehended the signal and walked calmly until he was placed right by the right side of the table, the bear turned around to face Nick and placed his paws together in front of his stomach as he awaited for any other command. After Kevin stopped moving, Mr. Big returned his full attention to Nick and asked:

- You have something that you need to tell me Nick? Some half-baked excuse or some well concocted lie to get you back into my good graces?

Dismissing his tone that seemed a bit sarcastic, it was really hard to tell, Nick raised his paws making a gesture to dismiss that idea and answer:

- Nothing like that. I decided to turn a new leaf in my life, only to do that, I figured it would do some good to straighten a few things out first.

Curious by the posture the fox was taking but still not believing his words for even a fraction of a second, Mr. Big pointed out and spoke up:

- Very well. Then speak your mind and be done with it already.

Having received permission and the proper attention, Nick took one deep breath to take an extra dose of courage and say:

- I'm sorry.

No one was expecting to hear that, specially Mr. Big himself, as Kevin and Bruce revealed different expressions both of utter astonishment, the boss shrew himself held the arms of his chair almost as if he was just hit by a violent gust of wind. After the feeling of incredulity dissipated over the course of a few seconds, Mr. Big bent his body forward over his chair and raised his good ear to ask:

- What did you just say?!

Nick repeated himself, only this time his voice was well heard as he explained his reasoning in a concise manner:

- I came here to apologize to you for all the trouble I caused over the years. After getting accepted as part of your family I had nothing but respect presented to me, until my own ego got me into more trouble than I could possibly handle on my own. After everything that transpired it feels like this is the least I can do. So… I'm sorry.

Even after hearing it for a second time the crime boss could hardly believe it, was that fox in front of him the same one who did his best to come out on top of a bad situation? The same fox who had believed himself unstoppable and uncatchable now showing humbleness and regret? It still felt a little hard to swallow:

- Is this some sort of con Wilde? Because if it is…

- No con!

Nick interrupted:

- No hustle! I came here only to say that and nothing more.

Mr. Big looked deep into Nick's eyes in search of any signs of deception, he heard the sound of a single large step being taken right behind his chair, guessing that the polar enforcer right alongside him wished to shake Nick down for a more congruent explanation, the shrew only needed to consider the possibility of a scuffle for a split second before he showed a gesture with his right paw asking for Kevin to stop. The polar bear was slightly disappointed for not being able to do as he pleased, but he still stopped on command.

Mr. Big didn't see any sign of hesitation, no deviation in Nick's stare, none of the indications that the fox usually showed when he was trying to talk his way out of a tough spot, the fox didn't twitch his ears or adjusted his tie. After years of dealings with some of the lowest dealers in the city the big boss picked up a few tricks of how to discover how a mammal was lying, subtle hints like posture or the gesture of one's paws as they talked, not seeing any of those displayed on Nick he had only one conclusion to draw at that time: The fox was being sincere, he was actually trying to apologize, the only thing that was missing in that scenario was the true reason why.

Willing to get deeper into the true meaning of that, Mr. Big spoke up with a decisive tone:

- Nick, you seem to be telling the truth, however, your errors against me definitely overweight your achievements in comparison. I'm willing to let you walk out of here, but do not think for a second that this will grant you any favors on my part.

- I understand that.

Nick answered after the shrew was done talking, the fox continued soon after:

- I don't expect any sort of benefit and I get it if you don't forgive me. All of the things I pulled off over the years are… unforgivable. I only came to say what I wanted to say.

Mr. Big scratched the fur under his chin as he thought carefully about that instance, it was not likely that Nick had a sudden change of heart, it was way more probable that the fox had a precipitous mental breakdown seeing as he walked alone right to the mammal that just a month ago would have tossed him into an ice box if it wasn't for one detail… a specific detail that was not accompanying Nick at the moment. That is when it hit Mr. Big, the reason why Nick was doing that. Confident on his reasoning, Mr. Big Signaled with his paw and said:

- Very well. If that is all that you had to say, then you can go.

Kevin protested, incredulous about his boss' decision:

- What?! B… but boss…!

- He only had words for me Kevin, nothing more. As much as I'm sure it would please you to kick him to the curb, it is wrong to throttle a mammal for words alone. Let him walk out and come back with a real reason for you to do so.

Not satisfied, but understanding the line of raciocinium of his employer, Kevin standed down, crossing his arms and grunting with dissatisfaction. Nick gave a solemn bow and thanked the shrew for his time and patience before turning around and walking in the direction of the door, however, inches before reaching the door knob, Nick was stopped by Mr. Big's voice as he asked:

- You're doing this for 'her', aren't you?

Nick halted, felling a small chill that did not originate from the room itself running up his back. Nick released a small huff of air from his nose that appeared as a thin mist originating from his muzzle as he was left guessing it would be rather obvious why he decided to go through that entire ordeal with such a risk to his own life. There was a moment of silence, Herold couldn't make a lick of sense of what was happening inside that room or what his boss was talking about, at last the silence was dropped as Nick turned his head around slightly and answered:

- She doesn't know I'm here. I came of my own accord and said what I wanted to say. That's all. I'm leaving.

Mr. Big gave little mind to that last affirmation, it mattered little to him if it was truth or not, he knew that Nick was doing this as a way to make amends only if by being guided on the right path by the bunny's influence. The shrew bent his body forward once more so that his voice could be heard:

- Judy is a great mammal, she is kind and definitely too god to be hanging about with the likes of you, that's for sure. It matters not that she is a part of the ZPD, she is still caring, honest and a part of the family, more so than you could ever hope to be again.

Nick knew that was the truth, deep inside he knew that the old shrew was right, but that still stung a bit inside of Nick, even so, he kept a leveled head, immobilized with his paw almost reaching for the door without turning around to face the crime boss again for the time, Mr. Big continued:

- She saved my daughter's life and if at any point down the road you mess up like you usually do and end up being the cause of any harm to her, then Nick, sorry or not, you're gonna wish your end was quick and painless.

Those words were meant to be dead serious, a full on threat so that Nick would watch his step, but the threatening part of that sentence fell on meaningless grounds, what actually called to Nick's attention and made his right ear twitch in the direction of that voice was the implication of Nick bringing harm to Judy in any way. Felling a growl building up inside of his chest but still reminded of where he was at the time, Nick turned fully around to face Mr. Big and speak up:

- Judy is my friend. I already know she is too good for me. She is still the one that believed in me and made me realize that I could be more than just another simple con artist. I wouldn't even dream of doing something that might bring harm to her and the fact that you even think of that really doesn't sit well with me.

Nick's eyes squinted to face off against Mr. Big who saw a lot of promise and determination in that single stare along with noticing a small growl in his voice. The fox's eyes told him so much and it had been quite a while since the shrew had seen someone throw a similar look to him, Kevin almost went right ahead and slapped that look out of Nick's face but seeing no direct order from Mr. Big, the bear's frustration ended with a simple scowl. Nick started to walk out the door and before one of the enforcers went along to escort him, he raised a paw and spoke with a polite manner:

- I already know the way out.

After Nick left the room another presence made herself known inside the office, Fru-Fru, Mr. Big's daughter entered the room by the side door wearing a stylishly colored and comfy blue dress to accommodate her expectant body, she was only a few days from giving birth and she could hardly wait to be a mother since she had already picked the name for the infant in honor of the bunny who became her godmother. Approaching the revolving chair of her father one slow step at the time she asked with her little high pitched voice:

- Daddy, did you managed to finish dealing with the building company that has traffic brought to a near standstill at Little Rodentia? My friends have been grousing about it non-stop for weeks.

Showing an expression of concern the elder shrew spoke up:

- I did my dear, but you should not be moving around so much, you are to give birth in a matter of days, the doctor said so himself.

Giving her belly a light tap, the pregnant shrew stood up to her father in protest:

- Daddy I'm fine. You need to stop worrying so much about me.

- Fru-Fru, I am a parent, worrying is a full time obligation for someone in my position, sooner or later you will understand.

Letting out a little giggle and giving her father a small kiss on the cheek, Fru-Fru turned her attention to the front door of the office after realizing that her father was staring squarely at it as was everyone else in the room, rightfully concerned that some critical affair had taken place inside that location, she asked:

- Daddy, who were you talking with before I entered?

Still unsure about the exact nature of the happenings, he answered:

- For a moment I thought it was Nicholas Wilde, the same smart mouth fox that had caused me so many headaches in the past, only after today… I'm not so certain that was the same fox.

The female shrew didn't really get what her father was trying to say, she was certain that Nick was not going to be disposed of out of the fact that he and Judy were friends again, at least it seemed like that to her when Judy showed up once more just a little while before, as Mr. Big returned to other engagements that he was preoccupied previously, Fru-Fru was left puzzled while looking at the door to the office and gently tapping the top of her belly with two of her fingers.

Nick was transposing over the thin layer of snow at the front yard of the housing estate, regularly stopping by to removing some traces of snow that accumulated between his toes or to just look over his shoulder and make sure that there were really no goons after him seeking a quick retribution, he walked in the direction of the big iron gate at the front and exited without much issue. As soon as he was outside he placed a paw over his chest and spoke with a rather loud tone of voice:

- Holy crap! I cannot believe I just did that!

Nick had stood his ground against one of the few mammals that he actually respected enough to fear in his life and he did so by almost bearing his teeth at the guy. With the lingering feel that his heart was about to jump out of his chest, Nick didn't even notice that the temperature got low to the point that it was now snowing outside, he was feeling an increasing heat emanating from within his body as a matter of fact. The fox gave the gate and the enormous house behind him one last look before turning his back completely and begin walking away, he thanked the heavens that he still had all of his limbs intact and programed inside his mind one last spot that he needed to visit for the day:

- Now that the hard part is over, I can focus on one last thing and be ready to become a cop.

After letting that tidbit escape his lips, Nick halted his motion over the sidewalk, without being a long way from Mr. Big's property, he placed the palm of his right paw over his eyes and spoke out loud for the last time before walking again:

- I really need to stop talking to myself.

---

It was already close to six after noon and Nick was walking near the edge of the savanna, after taking the train out of Tundra Town and one bus that took him near there, he decided to walk the rest of the way, dragging his tail along some stretches of the path. It is true that taking a word with Mr. Big had left him with renewed vigor but he still felt a bit of weight over him with having his next stop in mind, it had been a long time since he visited his old neighborhood and a single look at a little metal plaque saying 'Redwood Paws Ln.' told him that without even noticing he was already there.

Redwood lanes is a quiet street, a locale where not a lot of vehicles went by and where many families had been living since the earliest days of Zootopia, there were mostly stores, bakeries and other small business places at the ground floors of the various buildings that constituted the street. Nick walked past a drugstore with red and white tiles placed by the front door and a textile shop which had a large group of mammals, females mostly, talking about the nature of different samples of cloth. After taking in some familiar sights he arrived at a modest four stories building with a rusty metal plaque that read as such:

- 'Sth. 1899'. Well… this is it.

Nick entered the building and walked up a single flight of stairs until he came faced with a door labeled as a fire retardant entrance to be closed in case of emergencies:

- This is new.

Nick thought out loud as he realized that e hadn't visit the apartment building in quite a long while, after opening the heavy door and swinging it open, the fox came to the sight of a narrow hallway that stretched itself from side to side, each one leading to two differing sets of doors, he deviated left and came close to the one marked with the number '103', that was the one he was looking for. Nick was a bit apprehensive, not as much as before but still, he shaped two of his fingers on his right paw together and gave the door's wooden frame a gentle but noticeable knock, seconds later he could hear a soft line of steps making its way closer and closer to him, he swallowed some air in anticipation.

There was a sound of a chained latch being removed from behind the door which swung open revealing the image of a middle-aged female fox, she was wearing a simple sky blue dress and had a perceptible air of tiring in her posture and in her eyes. She was also wearing a small watch on her left wrist and a golden ring placed on the index finger of her right paw, although, the one detail that really called to attention was the fact that, although she looked quite similar to Nick also having green eyes and having fur of the same color, she was much shorter than him. Compared to Nick the female fox's head only reached the height of his chest, or rather just reaching his shoulders if you counted her ears, which were now perked up as she caught a glimpse of who was knocking at her door.

Nick stood at a bashful stance, looking down at her and spoke up:

- Hi mom.

- Nicholas?!

The older fox released a small gasp when faced with the revelation after seeing him, she approached and extended her arms snatching a hug from her son, she didn't came too strong into the hug since she already knew that Nick was not the hugging type of mammal, however she got a pleasant surprise when he responded to her hug by placing his arms on her back in a soft manner. With a large smile on her muzzle she spoke with a low volume but a loud sense of conviction:

- It is so nice to see you! I've been meaning to talk to you again since you last came by. How long has it been since you last visited me?

A bit uncomfortable, but aware that it had been quite some time, Nick scratched the back of his head and answered:

- It… has been a while.

Her smile didn't falter after his response, the older fox opened way to show the interior of her house and gestured with her paw, asking of Nick:

- Do you want to come inside? I just prepared a fresh batch of tea and biscuits.

Not being the kind of guy who drinks tea very often, but not wanting to be rude, Nick accepted:

- I'd love to.

Nick made his way inside past her and she close the door which made a rather sound when the metallic latch stuck into the side frame. Nick looked around, noticing that a lot of things had stayed the same since the last time he visited, the same furniture, the same old wall paper drawn to resemble the image of a dense forest seen from afar, and the very same pictures frames placed at the very same spots depicting Nick as a young pup in quite a few of them.

Maria Volpinely Wilde was an elder vixen that lived quite a simple life and she did so with the best of intentions for others seeing as she seemed to possess a latent urge to help others on a daily basis, for twenty years she had lived in Redwood lane and she did so by helping around the neighborhood as she kept alive the fond memories of her deceased husband who had his picture paced over a pristine spot over the shelf by the left wall and was respected and admired by many even after his passing. Nick ventured inside the apartment and took a quick survey of the place, there was a nice smell of food coming from the kitchen that made him incredibly nostalgic, the door to a room resembling a knitting and sowing studio was left open halfway but he was immediately taken by a small wave of sadness after a single glimpse at the smiling face of his father depicted in one of the photos, no matter how he remembered his dad, Nick always seemed to see him smiling for some reason.

Nick decided to sit down over the couch with a floral print, his mother took a padded chair that was placed opposing him and near the coffee table that had a tea set with simmering and sweet tasting ready to be consumed. She held the teapot gently in her paws and poured one cup for Nick, placing it near him shortly after, Maria didn't seem displeased to see him, he could tell that much at least, she had the remnants of a smile as she took her own cup near her face to give it a single blow of air and take a single sip from it. After she was done taking a short swig from the tea she warned Nick:

- Careful, it is quite hot.

Nick didn't speak, he only nodded his head before taking the small plate with the cup in his left paw and stare at it without taking a single sip as the thin smoke having the smell of the beverage climbed into the air and past his muzzle. Nick turned his eyes to his mother and opened his mouth to speak, but, before he could get a word out she asked:

- I got you a new tie as a birthday gift. I wanted to give it to you when you last came to visit but I forgot. Do you still want it?

A bit surprised by that, but never passing a chance on a thoughtful gift, Nick smiled and answered:

- Of course I do.

Maria handed Nick a small rectangular box with a neat little bow glued to the side, Nick placed the cup still filled with tea back over the small table in front of him to pick the box up, he opened it and found a new tie just as it was said, the vestment article in question had a darken maroon color almost like the pigment of fine wine and it had a silky texture upon touch. After Nick took the tie out of the box to give it a better look, he looked back to his mother and thanked her for the gift:

- Thanks mom. It's really nice.

Nick carefully folded the gift and placed back inside the box, he put it aside and leaned his body forward over his seat so he could call her attention and speak with her clearly:

- Mom, I came here because… there is something really important that needed to talk to you and this is something I need to discuss with you face to face.

Maria placed the tea cup over the table and devoted all of her attention to her son, the look in his eyes seemed so serious, she got a little worried but waited for Nick to explain what he wanted to say:

- What is it Nicholas?

Nick took a quick breath as he went ahead and explained it:

- I decided to take a total new direction with my life, it is sort of a big change and… it is not going to be easy in the least, but I decided it is the opportunity for me to do some good.

- What do you mean?

Nick was caught off guard by that question, it occurred to him that his nerves were still firing up from earlier that day, he didn't know how to start explaining himself, his face appeared distort, fearing that his expression was related to some grave happening Maria asked out of instinct:

- Nicholas… you are not in some sort of trouble, are you?

Panicking a bit from within after getting hit by that other question, Nick rushed his answer through an awkward fit of laughter:

- NO! No, no, no! I'm not in any kind of trouble! Seriously!

- Oh, that's good.

Nick was feeling a bit nervous seeing as his mother's first impulse was to act if he had found himself in some tight fix, taking the courage and the time to explain what he really meant, the fox spoke up:

- Mom, I decided to start training to become a ZPD officer.

Maria's eyes shot open and her ears darted up like a bolt of lightning, granted, that was probably the last thing she expected to hear that evening, specially from her son. There was a minute of silence as Maria tried to digest what she just heard, Nick wasn't sure how she would react after that, he didn't get any palpable clues from her look which was attempting to study his stance in turn, Nick's ears drooped down behind his head as he thought to himself how he should have not just said such an impactful piece of news all of a sudden and possibly eased into it. Nevertheless, Maria leaned forward to discover what brought such a choice and asked:

- Nicholas, you want to become a police officer?

- I know! It sounds really crazy.

Maria reminisced for a short interval and reputed:

- Well.. not as crazy as that one time you wanted to be an astronaut.

Nick face pawed himself as he recalled the time in his childhood when space related adventures were all that he talked about, trying to sound it off as a well meant joke, he spoke up:

- To be fair it looked like everyone who was cool was going into outer space back then.

Maria released a giggle but she quickly turned her face serious again to ask:

- That is quite the challenge to overcome, you seemed to have your mind set on so many other simpler things when you came here last time. Something significative must have happened for you to make such a change.

Nick didn't want to give too much of what happened to him away, most of it was quite dangerous to speak in an overly open way, he decided to organize his speech in a way that wouldn't give a lot of his new perspective away:

- After all of the craziness that hit the city on the last months a… let's just say 'a certain mammal', a police officer, approached me and asked me for help,… this one mammal in question said that I could be of great help to the police force if I decided to join. I didn't give it a lot of thought at first but the idea slowly sunk in after a time, so I decided to give it a try, I already know that is going to take a lot out of me to accomplish this but I feel up for the task.

Maria listened very carefully while she scratched the side of her neck and slightly squinted her eyes, to pick up on anything that might reveal what might be the biggest reason behind that decision. After Nick was done talking he placed his paws together as he waited for a reaction from his mother, she didn't react with any overly dramatic statement, she just picked the tea cup she had previously and took another sip, after she took another swig from the tea, she placed the cup down and answered:

- Okay.

Nick didn't understand that particular tone in her answer, he asked:

- 'Okay'?! That's it?!

- Well… what did you want me to say?

- I… don't know. I just thought it was gonna be something a tad more… I'm not sure.

Maria didn't give that response a lot of thought, Nick picked the cup of tea that he had set over the table only a few instances before and decided to finally take a sip from it, the drink was still warm, it had a sweet aftertaste and an acidic tang on his throat, he enjoyed it and decided to continue to flavor it further. As Nick was swallowing another gulp of the tea he heard Maria placing her cup down after being finished with her tea and proceed to ask:

- So… what's her name?

The tea making its way down Nick's throat took a wrong turn making him cough and almost spill the drink, the warm liquid inside his throat stung a bit with his sudden scoff of surprise. Maria merely watched her son take the time to recuperate his air and put the nearly spilled cup down and directing his eyes at her with a stupefied look. After catching a glimpse of her unchanged facial expression, he asked:

- How do you even know it's a 'her'?!

Maria didn't answer him immediately, she took some time to grab the teapot and pour a new cup for herself, after the newly poured drink was close to her lips she gave her answer:

- Oh, I didn't know. You just told me.

Nick closed his eyes in slight frustration as he realized that he had just been duped by his own mother into revealing that particular facet of the story:

- Damnit!

Nick gave a whispering shout in frustration as his mother began taking a sip of the drink and hummed in agreement:

- Uhm-hum.

Knowing that there was no way to escape telling her about his new friend and how much of a difference she made in his life, Nick took a breath and began telling about Judy:

- So… her name is Judy. Judy Hopps.

Nick's mom nodded as she hummed with a certain tone of delight:

- Hum…

Nick directed his eyes at her after hearing that sound, but he continued talking soon after:

- She is a really nice mammal and she helped me a lot.

Maria released a sound that was guided out of her mouth by cheerful intrigue by Nick's words:

- Uuuuh!

Nick was beginning to get a little annoyed by that, he kept talking nonetheless:

- She is an officer at the ZPD and she is really nice and kind. She is a great mammal. Maybe one of the greatest.

Now fully convinced about the legitimacy of the mammal by her son's tone of voice Maria spoke up with even more glee to hear that:

- Okay.

- Could you please stop that?

Pretending as if she didn't know what Nick was talking about, Maria brought the cup close to her muzzle to take another sip from her tea, but inches before her lips touched the edge of the ceramic utensil she said:

- Stop what?

- That! Talking like that.

- I'm not talking like anything.

- Yes you are! You're doing it right now!

Maria tried to take a sip from her cup without laughing too hard, but that wasn't easy to do, the giggles making their way out of her chest were strong and she had to halt herself from drinking the tea by sealing her lips and prevent herself from letting the simmering drink come out of her nose in the middle of laughing. Nick crossed his arms and turned his head around in indifference, Maria decided to approach him, she got up from her original seat and sat on a cushion over the couch next to him, Nick gave little mind to that, still pouting to himself. Maria petted his shoulder and spoke up:

- I am glad that you met such a great mammal, I figured it would take a female of all things to get you all riled up like that, she sounds really nice and I would like to meet her someday. Do you know if she likes tea?

It didn't look like Nick was going to answer that, he did answer it however, he just didn't turn around as he did so:

- Peach tea. I think it's her favorite.

- Oh, it has been a long time since I made tea with peach. I hope I still remember how it is done.

Nick's face continued to point the other way but he was smiling as he imagined how Judy and his mother were probably going to hit it off no problem. His eyes deviated to the left and he caught another look at the studio room that was close by, he pointed a claw to it and asked:

- Are you still making those pillows and blankets for charity?

With a sweet smile, Maria reached out to pet Nick on the head and answer him:

- Helping others as you can is not something that you can just 'turn off' Nicholas. I still make pillows and blankets to donate because I enjoy doing so and because is the right thing to do.

Nick let his mom pet him over the head, it was something that she enjoyed doing to show him affection, she scratched close to his right ear and spoke out with a little bit of concern in her voice:

- This training you will have to do, is it hard?

Nick smiled and answered:

- Judy will be training me, so… it is a safe assumption that it's going to be hard.

She kept scratching his head on the same spot as she asked:

- How long of a time is this training going to take?

Nick recalled what Judy told him and answered:

- About seven months or so. I still need to contact her to get it all in order seeing as I am getting a recommendation from her.

- Very well.

She stopped scratching Nick's head after saying that, she directed her eyes at the carpet and began to move her fingers around aimlessly as she buried herself deep in thought, after noticing that, Nick placed one paw over her shoulder and said:

- Mom, you don't need to worry.

- Yes I do,

She spoke abruptly without moving her head, she took a quick breath of air through her nose and turn to Nick as she explained:

- Nicholas, I will always worry about you. I understand that you have decided to become independent and chart your own path from quite the young age, it is quite the common behavior among foxes, especially the male ones. But being so as it may be, I will never quit worrying about you.

Nick looked deep into her eyes and showed a little side smile as she understood what she meant by that, but his smile disappear as he opened his mouth to say:

- Mom… I'm sorry.

Maria didn't understood what he meant by that, touched with disquiet she called his attention and asked:

- Sorry for what dear?

Nick decided to put his thoughts in order before formulating a full answer:

- After dad died and… after the whole thing with the scouts… it felt like I didn't really belong anywhere, not even here. I acted rash and decided to leave it all behind, stick to my own little corner and never let anyone get too close ever again. I acted like a total idiot for so long, even burned my fair share of bridges along the way.

Maria retreated for a bit, her ears drooped down and she placed a paw over her chest, it felt almost like a needle stung deep into her heart hearing those words and seeing her son beating on himself about that, even so, Nick didn't noticed that and continued to speak:

- I thought I had all the answers I could ever need in life and it all came down to how much money I could make and how much of a lead I could get over other mammals, and the worst part is that I actually enjoyed thinking like that. I came to visit you less and less because… I didn't wish to talk about this kind of thing with you. I guess… you think that I am a pretty rotten guy for thinking like that…

Out of nowhere, Maria reached for Nick and trapped him in one big hug. Nick was really lost at that moment, it surprised him a lot but it also felt pleasant. Determined to shake some sense into her son's head, Maria held him close and began to speak with a soft but ascertained tone:

- Nicholas, do not talk about yourself like that. I know more than anyone how life can get sometimes and how much it can seem like no one can help to show you a way out.

Maria released a sigh, stopping in the middle of her talk she released Nick from her hug placing both her paws over his cheeks and appearing to him with a sad look in her eyes before continuing:

- Your father was much better at dealing with this sort of things than me.

Nick looked in the direction of his father's picture over a shelf close by, the image of the gallant fox posing alongside a young Nick both having a big satisfactory smile on their faces as they were placed near an old automobile before the photo was taken. Nick remembered that day, bits and pieces of it at the very least, but he remembered having fun with his dad as they rode that old station wagon together during a Sunday afternoon. Nick turned back to his mother and said as so with a sighing voice:

- He was really the best, wasn't he?

- He was. Everything began to make less and less sense when he died, but that doesn't mean that what you decided to do with your life was bad.

Nick raised a brow thinking that his mother might have just been saying that to make him feel better. She continued with her line of thought shortly:

- Nicholas, you were sad, you didn't want to feel like that forever and you decided to become a part of something better and that is okay. When you decided to leave through that door to get things done by yourself I was worried for you because I know how the world can be cruel even with predators, especially with predators, but I was also hopeful. I had the hope that you would take control of your own existence, take on the world with your singular way of thinking, I knew you would make your share of mistakes just like any mammal, but that is okay.

Nick looked at her with intrigue as his perspective began to align with hers, Maria gestured around with her paws as she tried to get her point across during her clarification:

- Whatever you decide to do, whichever direction you choose to take, I will never consider you a burden, because you always bring me so much reason to be proud of you. You are smart and you have the skill and the conviction to attract the attention and respect of anyone, if you apply yourself in doing so. I know you will do great, it's like Thaddeus used to tell me: 'It doesn't matter if you make more than a hundred mistakes in your life, what matters is if you learn a least one thing among all of them'.

Nick chuckled as he recalled that his father had more than a thousand cliché lines to use in any given situation and not a lot of mammals picked up on what he was trying to say right at the spot, that didn't stop the guy from sharing some pearls of wisdom with the mammals around of him, most of them put together on the spot. He also found humorous the fact that when it came to his life he had deviated from the correct path quite a number of times, the smiling fox bent his back forward over the couch and turned his head to his mother before saying with an air of comedy:

- I think I went past the one hundred mark a long time ago.

- And did you learn something from it?

Nick searched his memory as he recalled some of the events of greater significance in his life culminating in his meeting with Judy and their adventure leading to one amazing discovery about cooperation and them making amends for the harsh times they went through. With a smile modified more towards sentimentality rather than humor, Nick answered:

- Yeah. I think I learned a thing or two along the way.

- There you have it.

Nick approached Maria to snatch a quick hug from her, the female fox was astonished with that gesture, she knew that Nick was not a fan of affectionate displays through physical contact, that is actually a common point with a lot of foxes, getting the feeling of affection across with the least amount of contact as possible, and yet she got three hugs form him in the same day. She repaid his embrace by softly placing her paws on his back and giving it a gentle tap, Nick raised from the couch and held her paws in his grasp after ending the hug, he looked straight at her and thanked for her time and support:

- Thanks mom. This talk really helped me. I think I needed it. Sorry if I barged in without a heads up.

- You're welcome Nicholas, my door is always open for you.

Time went by at a slow pace after that talk, Maria offered Nick a few biscuits and he accepted letting himself stay for a little while longer until the clock showed it was getting late and he still had a long way to go to get back to his apartment and prepare properly for the beginning of his training regimen with Judy. Nick picked the box with the tie given to him as a gift, but, before walking straight out the door, he turned to Maria and asked:

- Mom, I've been meaning to ask you something.

- Yes dear?

- There was a box that I left here a while back. It was an old air conditioner box but it had written on the side with black marker "My books". Have you seen somewhere?

Maria placed a claw under her chin, gently scratching a scruff of fur, Nick figured she was thinking really hard about the current location of said box. She gave him a confirmation after ten seconds of deep thinking:

- Oh! There was a communal yard sale last week, everyone in the block got together for it I think I put it along with the donations by mistake.

With his voiced sparked with panic, Nick yelled out:

- MOM!

Maria laughed out loud as she saw Nick's expressions, she put a paw over her chest to stop herself from tipping over with laughter and spoke up:

- I'm only joking Nicholas. Your box is safe and sound in the back of the closet. All of your comics are inside.

Nick released a breath of relief after hearing that, but he felt it was important to clarify one very important aspect:

- Those aren't 'comics', most of them are Graphic Novels. It's very different.

Maria smiled as she showed Nick the ´place where the box he was referring to was kept, Nick opened the card box container after retrieving it from the back of the big closet built into the wall of the main bedroom to check if the referred objects were still inside, just to make sure of it. He placed the smaller box with his gift inside of it and began to walk out the door wishing his mother a good bye and a good night.

After Nick left the apartment building it was already night, the street lights were shining on and there were a few shops around Redwood lane that were already closing for the day. Nick made his way towards his apartment, struggling at a few stretches of the path to keep the rickety, old box in his grasp safe and assure that not a single item from within would fall out on the sidewalk or over the pavement. After a long walk, Nick reached his apartment's front door and breathed easier with the confidence that he would finally get some rest after what felt like one of the longest days of his life.

Nick walked up the stairs and reached the door of his place, he tried reaching for the keys in his back pocket to open the door with one paw while his other arm tried to precariously balance the heavy box that he brought over with the outmost care. As soon as he managed to retrieve the bundle of keys from his pocket and hoist them in the air as he looked for the correct one, the bottom of the cardboard container tore open scattering a colorful collection of books and novels from different fictional heroes across the floor, leaving Nick with a stupefied expression on his face, a now hollowed out box in one paw and a key hoisted into the air in the other. Not seeing any particular reason to blow his top over that, Nick folded the carboard and said to himself:

- Well. On the plus side, at least I'm already here.

Nick opened the door and started to transport the manuscripts inside by reaching to the floor and picking one big bundle of books that he could carry and doing so over many trips until every single one was safe inside the apartment, Nick didn't even bother turning the lights on, since he was a fox he could see exceptionally well, even in the dark. He opted to leave them over the couch and sort though them all at a later time, he closed the door after making sure he didn't leave a single book behind. Having completed all of his self-appointed tasks for the day, Nick tossed his body over the carpet on the floor and closed his eyes in the hopes that he would get a nice nap only to be abruptly awakened by the sound of his cellphone ringing. He picked the device up and saw that it was Judy, trying to contact him, he opened the messaging application and began chatting with her:

Judy: Hey, Nick! Everything alright?

Nick: Sure, why wouldn't it be?

Judy: I tried talking with you earlier today but you didn't pick up.

Nick: Sorry about that fluff. I just had a long and stressful day and now I just want to rest up for a while.

Judy: Oh, okay. I'll leave you to it.

Nick: Hey, before that. I need to tell you something.

Judy: Sure what is it?

Nick: I've decided to begin training with you to become a cop.

There was a brief pause before Judy's message arrived asking:

Judy: REALLY?! ARE YOU SURE?! (:-O.

Nick: Yeah, I'm sure. Just had to get a few things in order over at my end but now I'm ready. Do you have any free time coming up so you can help me get ready?

Judy: Give me a second…

On the other side of the line Judy was hopping around with joy, Nick finally decided to join her and she was glad to share such an amazing job with a friend like him, her mind was already overflowing with ideas to make his preparation routine better and easier so he could take on the academy without any issue. Returning her attention to the phone and keeping it casual as she texted her confirmation, she wrote down:

Judy: I just checked and I have an available time slot by next week. Plenty of time to begin training and get you enrolled at the academy. I'll talk things over with chief Bogo and have a training program set out for you asap!

Nick: Copy that officer carrots. Can't wait.

Judy: I can't wait either. See you soon Nick. :-D

Nick: Until later. Good night carrots. ;-)

Nick turned off his phone and placed it over the coffee table close by while still resting up the rest of his body, laying over the carpet and catching his breath. On the middle of his attempt to relax, he looked at the couch and at the numerous stacks of manuscripts placed over the cushions, he extended his left paw to grab one of them and the one that got selected was one with a dark cover, a caped figure leaping over buildings on the background of a picture and a mess of big letters in purple reading: "Darkwing Duck: The return of the Masked Mallard", an outlandish tale about an average guy from the fictitious city of 'Saint Canard' living a double life each night and day as a masked vigilante and a single father. Excited to dive into the story and get his mind out of any more worries for the day, Nick opened the book and scrolled over page after page of the thrilling tale until his eyes just gave out and he fell sound asleep.

Now it was only a matter of days until he was put through the training that would prepare him for the toughest ordeal that he had to undertake, but for now he only wanted to rest.

Author's note: The next chapter will be the official start of Nick's training progress and it will be a two parter. DO NOT WORRY, I will publish the two parts together as to avoid any cliff hangers, the reason I made the next one a two parter is because I placed a lot of world building details and I thought it would all end up being a lot of details to put in a single chapter. I can't wait to see your response to the next parts of the adventure. See you guys, until next time.