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.

25. Episode 25: Heat

Author's note: Salutations every one, it is I, Valiant, and I have finally returned. Did you miss me? Because I sure missed all of you. I really wish to, first of all, apologize for the massive delay that this chapter had, my computer broke down and I had to run all over the place to get it fixxed, finally, I had to take it out of town and find the parts to get it back in working order again. I have been burning myself up trying to complete this new chapter and it is finally done. Also, on a much sadder note, my grandfather passed away shortly after, it hit everyone around here really hard, it took me quite a while to get back into the swing of things and it has not been easy. This next chapter has a great impact on the story as a whole and... it gets juicy near the end, this is my first time posting a chapter like this and I do hope it is up to your standards. I'm still getting used to the new features that came along after my computer got fixxed up and I shall stride to not let it fall into disrepair in the near future so that I can continue posting great stories for you all. On that note, I would also like to inform you that my Spyro Fan-fic will continue to be delayed for a little while longer. I need to take a serious break to think some things over, but I guarantee you that I'll be back and my stories will continue to progress. With all of that out of the way: I bid you all a geat reading and wish nothing but the best to everyone that stuck around since the begining of this project.

Have fun and until next time.

Episode 25: Heat.

It had been one calm and bright day in Zootopia, Nick and Judy had gone over another shift at work and the fox had proudly file a document for acquiring the newest weapon model dispensed by the ZPD and offered in good faith by the ZBI, some tweaks had to be made since the model was not yet outfitted for Nick himself to handle but he was optimistic with the fact that he would have a weapon of his own soon enough, Judy's help with remaking the documentation really helped. After getting a lot of records done and filed for the day, the two officers had agreed to spend some time in the training gym and burn off some excess energy that they still had, they hadn't received a patrolling assignment and there was still plenty of time before they each had to exit the precinct and return to their homes.

Judy had asked Fangmeyer to grab and place a couple of training dummies that they could use to train combat techniques while simultaneously improving their natural speed, Nick waited patiently as he checked the messaging app on his phone until the training apparatus were set in place. Fangmeyer exited the training room just as soon as she certified Judy that everything was set up accordingly, Judy thanked the tigress for the friendly assistance and began with her training right away, Nick watched as Judy delivered swift punches and kicks to the training dummy she had reserved for herself, he safely stored his cellphone away and walked up to the dummy closest to him so he could get started as well.

As the minutes rolled by and their combat training evolved, Judy's attacks over her target became more relentless and energetic, occasionally she would jump in the air to deliver a high kick or a quick series of rapid fire jabs having in mind that she would occasionally have to fight adversaries much taller than her, a nice combat focused mentality instilled to her by major Friedkin and that evolved quite nicely since back during her academy days. Nick's attacks did not evolve in intensity quite as much, the fox imagined fighting a foe with approximate height and mass to his own while he punched the dummy in front of him, often stopping to breathe and guard himself up against attacks that never would connect, dodging and weaving against blows that could be thrown against him in a possible combat scenario.

Just outside the gym, walking without any kind of itinerary except for maybe the enjoinment of a nice stroll through the hallways of the building, Agent Donovan was happily stepping about and clacking his cane over the floor tiles with a melodious hum in his mind as he thought about a myriad of different things. Every section of the wolf's brain was preoccupied with thoughts about budget constraints, new documents that would be archived, addressing comments that would be made to the press, vehicle maintenance, refurbishing of old personal items as well as the song he was carrying along to make his cluttering thoughts feel less oppressive for his mind. As Donovan halted his walk to take a look at his pocket watch, he turned his ears to the left to hear the unmistakable sound of punches being thrown around, with two distinctive rhythms.

Donovan walked slowly in the direction of the sound, his ears began to identify the hits with a much better scope as he walked closer to the double door with the markings written 'Training Gym' right above its threshold, the different amount of force used to produce the sounds of each hit confirmed to Donovan that there were two mammals training together but with completely different fighting styles, he raised his ears to identify the sounds with better accuracy even raising his cane slightly to not hit the ground and disrupt the rhythm that he was now caught on. One set of hits was quick, it sounded a little aimless and stressed at first, but it also carried remarkable strength and a hint of unpredictability in the execution, the other set of hits sounded more astute and methodical, slow and yet precise, only disrupted occasionally by the sound of quick steps over a mat. Donovan continued to walk and it did not surprise him at all to learn that the sounds he had intercepted during his stroll belonged to Judy and Nick respectively.

Agent Donovan remained by the entrance of the gym, just watching the two officers training side by side albeit with different routines to their processes, his cane being held by his two gripping paws as his mind suddenly wandered off to a time long ago when he practiced day and night in order to become a better fighter, weeks of sweat and discipline that filled his heart with endless longing. Judy turned her eyes slightly to the right and caught the wolf's silhouette at the very corner of her field of vision, she stopped her exercise and greeted the agent with a wave and a smile followed by a verbal greeting that sounded a little short of breath:

- Oh… hello there, Agent Donovan.

Nick stopped his attacks against the dummy and turned over to give the agent a swift hello as well by showing a wave of his paw. Believing that his presence was definitely welcomed in that environment, Donovan gave a few steps forward and spoke up:

- Salutations once more.

His voice echoed for a fraction of a second throughout the mostly empty gym while his left paw performed a slow arch in the air and his right paw eased the grip on his cane. Donovan approached just enough to get a better look at the equipment that Nick and Judy were using, it appeared so simple but Donovan already considered it much better than the archaic items that he used to train back during his younger years. Both of the dummies that were used as targets were cylindrical bags lined with a thick leathery coat and stuffed with hardened foam that made it primed and easy to hit for an extended amount of time, both the dummies were supported by posts that remained at a rigid angle while attached to small standing pedestals that were very heavy and had a special adjusting knob placed at their base to slightly change the height of the target if necessary with minimum changes to the overall leverage. Donovan walked a few more steps as he studied the equipment and recalled the brief look he had at the fighting stances displayed by Nick and Judy, he felt the need to air his opinions.

After taking a breath of air and scratching the fur under his chin with a supple move of his left paw, Donovan turned over to Judy and spoke up:

- I'm satisfied with how everything is progressing in the ZPD. Our new gear and item conjoint action is making all of the other officers interested in improving themselves for the protection of the city.

Judy nodded and said:

- We're glad about it ourselves. Nick here spent almost the entire work shift figuring out the correct forms to fill about the new taser weapon.

Donovan turned his head to look at Nick and the fox spoke up:

- It looks like a really sweet weapon and I have been itching to get one of my own since the show and tell we had yesterday.

Donovan turned his head away but he successfully disguised a little laugh that climbed up his throat from the fox who sounded very close to a young pup waiting to receive a brand new toy. The wolf turned back to Judy and asked of her while readjusting his posture:

- How about you, officer Hopps? Are you excited to acquire a shock pistol of your own?

Judy shook her head slowly and answered:

- I would prefer to keep my old tranquilizer shooter. I already got the documentation and gear request to have it repaired. I also placed a special request to have one of those reinforced vests outfitted for myself so I can replace the one on my current uniform.

Judy appeared to have it all figured out, Donovan was not surprised by that, he already knew that the bunny standing right in front of him was smart and planned things ahead in order to become as efficient and reliable as she could be. After Judy was done speaking, Donovan moved about and spoke up as he poked the side of Nick's training dummy using his bamboo cane:

- I heard the sounds of your training in the hallway and became interested. I instructed many a fighter in the ZBI not that long ago but nothing like the way you two go at it.

Nick and Judy exchanged a look that clarify how unsure they were about that but Nick pushed the conversation forward by asking:

- Are you saying we're not up to snuff when it comes to fighting.

Donovan dismissed that by speaking up:

- Not at all, officer Wilde. I'm only saying your fighting stances are somewhat unusual. If rumors are to be believed you two are quite the contenders in a battle scenario.

Donovan finished that last sentence with a little chuckle, Judy felt a little uncomfortable as she grasped her right paw in her left paw and asked with a whisper directed at the wind:

- There are rumors about us?

Donovan redirected the conversation back to the topic he initially wished to discuss as he continued speaking after taking a short breath:

- It is said that you can figure out an awful lot about a mammal based on the way they fight, you two have such distinguishing fighting stances but they do complement each other very well. You must have a lot of practice fighting together.

Nick and Judy exchanged a look that showed how that was very much not the case among them. Judy was the first to speak up as she said:

- Actually… based on the fights we have been involved so far, it all comes down to pure instinct. I mostly learned to fight thanks to the old wrestling videos that my older brothers liked to watch. Major Friedkin had to help me figure the rest out for myself.

Nick gave a short step forward before pointing his right thumb at Judy and saying:

- I actually learned most of what I can about fighting thanks to Judy here. Also some quick courses back at the academy, some friends helped with most of the fine tuning.

Donovan was actually surprised to hear that, his internal sense of lecturing came to the surface and he decided to give a quick lesson to the two officers. The wolf's legs were a little tired but a quick shot of energy propelled him forward and he was sure that he could give at least one lesson to each of them before stepping out for the other chores he had in his schedule for the day. Donovan stepped fort before speaking:

- Well… as I said before, 'your fighting complements one another', but it can't all be one big balancing act all the time. Practicing different forms of combat can be highly beneficial in case you find yourselves in a strange situation that cannot be resolved by the things that you have in your normal playbooks.

Judy gave that a little thought and consideration but Nick interrupted her by speaking up:

- We do have a knack for landing feet first on top of strange situations.

Judy turned her head to Nick as she heard his voice but she turned quickly to face Donovan once more as she noticed the wolf striding slowly in the direction of a nearby wall. Judy clutched her paws into fists and assured the wolf:

- Do not worry, Agent Donovan. We will continue to train diligently in order to become better. We shall be perfect fighting machines.

Donovan released a chuckle as he heard those words, not too far from something he said a long time ago to his mentor. Without taking the smile away from his lips, the wolf placed his cane aside by leaning it against a nearby wall and turned around to ask:

- Have any of you ever heard the tale of Wujin Fong?

Judy had no idea what the meaning behind that name was, she was already searching any mention of such name in her mind but nothing came up to her memory as she repeated the strange sounding name more than eight times in silence. Nick was the one that came to interrupt her line of thought once more, just as Judy was about to admit knowing nothing about the one mentioned by agent Donovan which would hopefully encourage an explanation from him, Nick raised his left paw and aired an answer that was phrased as a question:

- Isn't that the story about the shaolin monk that trained day and night in order to achieve perfection and ended up overworked and destroying his body in the process?

Donovan pointed both of his paws at the fox and answered with controlled enthusiasm:

- That is the one. Glad to know I'm not the only one inside this precinct that shows an interest in old literature.

Nick squinted his eyes, lowered his ears and his tail swayed to the left as he admitted:

- I actually heard a mention of him on an old comic that I read when I was a kid.

Donovan didn't seem to mind that as he said:

- It doesn't matter what means you use to absorb information, as long as you retain it and it is useful, it is still information.

Donovan finished that sentence as he reached for the buttons of his suit and began to undo each of them, he removed his outer vest to reveal a nice looking white shirt made out of fabric that appeared to be very expensive, he rotated his shoulders as he got ready to present Nick and Judy with a practical fighting lesson, something he hadn't done for a really long time. Donovan approached Judy and made a gesture with his right paw, a gentle wave that directed her attention to the training dummy she was using previously, he was asking her to come closer so that he could tell her more about what he meant before when he mentioned the tale of the monk summarized by Nick's words, she didn't get what was the point of it at first but she paid attention at the wolf's lesson as he said:

- The tale of Wujin Fong teaches that most of us won't be satisfied with nothing less than the so called 'perfection' in anything, it can be at fighting, art, storytelling, anything in our daily lives and we often forget to take other important factors into account. We go through life thinking that we can achieve perfection in any kind of things during such a short time span. Perfection is not attainable, but discipline can always be earned.

Nick interjected in the lesson as he said:

- I thought the moral of the story was: 'No matter how good you are there is always going to be someone else that's better than you'.

Donovan turned to Nick and posted a quick correction as he said:

- That is the tale of the stag and the stallion. Different lane of story.

Nick pressed his lips together before he pumped his left fist on the side of his body showing some slight frustration at the fact that he was apparently wrong, he turned his head away and crossed his arms and Judy found that very funny, seeing her partner behaving like he was trying to become the favorite student in a classroom. Judy returned her attention to Donovan as he explained:

- Officer Hopps, it is no secret that you are very fast, your size difference against an opponent that is not the wiser about your fighting prowess presents an invaluable advantage. However, speed will not be the only deciding factor in a fight if you cannot deliver the appropriate power to an attack, to *every* attack.

Donovan presented himself in a wider stance as he positioned his body right in front of the training dummy, he clicked his shoulders outwards and raised his left arm directing the opened palm of his paw in the direction of the intended target, his right arm was tucked next to his abdomen and softly clutched, standing in ready for the next move that he had in mind. Donovan took a deep breath and moved his shoulders like they were the perfect mechanism of a hydraulic piston, making his right one push forward with the same speed and intensity used to pull the left one back. With great speed and precision, Donovan also opened the palm of his right paw as he extended his arm forward completely, delivering a loud impact to the surface of the training dummy that caught both Nick and Judy by surprise.

Judy took a step back, trying to figure out what sort of stance or special technique the wolf had used to deliver such an incredible attack without even forming a fist, Donovan took to explaining as soon as he made his body return to a straight stance and took another long breath of air before saying:

- That was the 'open palm strike'. It's an old favorite of martial artists and it is very useful when it comes to dishing out damage and precision on a single move.

Donovan signaled for Judy to come a little closer and the bunny obeyed without hesitation, she positioned herself close to the training dummy in a position the would be favorable for her in particular to hit it, the reach of her arms was much more limited that Donovan's. The wolf agent pointed to a spot on the covering layer of the training apparatus and said:

- When you merely punch a target the physics behind it could not be simpler: You automatically try to reduce the area of effect that is responsible for the applied pressure, your knuckles, and you increase the resulting force of the hit. This attack works with a correlating mentality: By opening your palm and using it to deliver the full energy bulk of your attack you exert the same amount of devastating pressure of a punch over a slightly bigger area of effect.

The explanation did not do much to convince Judy about the efficacy or the instances of usefulness of that attack but she was convinced that it could be a great way to add some discipline and excellent control to her training routine. Donovan gestured forward, politely asking for Judy to give it a try, she positioned herself in a similar stance to the one Donovan had taken, he could already tell that she was trying way too hard to lock her body down as she extended her left arm ahead and tucked her right arm back. Donovan pointed down and spoke up in order to correct a small flaw in her positioning:

- Don't give yourself such a wide stance, put your feet a little closer to one another, keep your balance in order to take away the enemy's balance.

Judy looked down and readjusted her stance as she scooched her feet a little closer to her center, she also lowered her ears back on her head and focused her eyes ahead, she would unleash all of the strength she had on to the one attack she had just learned. Donovan signaled ahead and instructed her:

- Go for it whenever you are ready.

Judy extended her right arm forward and tucked her left arm back, trying to do the same thing that Donovan had showed her but the wolf was capable of noticing imperfections on her execution and called to her attention by saying:

- You must hit the target with the whole palm of your paw, not just the wrist. Try again.

Judy did as she was asked to do, she tried to hit the target more persistently with the palm of her right paw this time and releasing a strong dash of air through her mouth as her body moved again. Donovan was quick to point the next flaw in her attempt as he said:

- You have to move your shoulders like they are a turning lever, connecting into the same motion, give yourself a little more leverage for the attack by putting your entire body into it and not just your upper body. Try again.

Judy tried again, hitting the dummy with her left paw once more and being called out by Donovan shortly after:

- Put some more strength into it. Again.

She hit the target again and the improvement on her attacks was showing as the impact was more audible that before. Donovan nodded his head a single time and said:

- Great. Keep at it.

Judy kept the attack going, hitting the training dummy with one strike after another until she was satisfied with her own display of strength and precision, Judy was just about to keep that going but she was halted from proceeding too fast with the rest of her exercise as Donovan poked her left shoulder and said:

- Good. Very good. Try focusing on posture and accuracy as you continue. If you keep using maximum strain as you go on you're just going to burn yourself out faster. Build more resilience before building power. You'll be better than a pro in no time.

Judy smiled and nodded her head, she continued to hit the training dummy as instructed, measuring her strength and applying less effort on every hit. Donovan left Judy and turned his attention to Nick, the fox was nearby, leaning against a counter where he had left his belongings and waiting with anticipation for the new skill that would be taught to him. Donovan called out to Nick with a gesture from his right paw, a wide vertical arch raised slightly above his head that called to his attention, asking Nick to step forth and prepare himself. Donovan turned to Nick and raised his paws to mimic the swaying of a boxing fighter as he said:

- Your style of fighting is something to behold, mister Wilde. You have this controlled stance that shows no sign of wavering in the face of an imposing challenger. You keep yourself on the move and wait until a foe makes a fatal mistake before capitalizing on it, lots of fighters utilize this very same style to strategize mid-fight. It is a reliable favorite of mine in fact.

Nick leaned his head to the left as he kept his eyes on the wolf who gestured about with slow moving punches and choreographed dodges to better illustrate his own lesson. Donovan unmade his stance and pointed to the training dummy that was to be used by Nick as he continued his explanation:

- However, this style has the unfortunate setback of constraining you to a defensive stance, after a while on it you can become inert and predictable. Your opponent might give up attacking strong and will switch to attacking fast, brute forcing his way past your stance and wearing out your defenses without giving you time to think or space to breathe. No matter how tough you are no one can take an onslaught of attacks for very long.

Nick pointed to the dummy for about half a second before bringing his right arm down once more as he asked while invested in the lesson:

- So… what should I do then?

- You surprise your foe, you spring the offensive and regain a little space of your own.

Donovan turned to the training dummy after giving that answer, he walked closer to it and pushed it around to check its balance as well as certify that he would be able to accurately show Nick what he would need to do. As soon as he was done with those preparations, Donovan walked a certain distance away from the dummy, he placed himself in a tight stance before it evolved into a wider one as he turned his body sideways while keeping his sights focused on the target he had in mind. Donovan raised his arms and positioned them slowly next to his upper torso, the left one placed only a few inches over the right one as they were halted in the air, he clutched his paws unto fists and leapt forth to unleash the attack. Donovan performed a short sideways leap that was quite fast to execute but easy to follow from an outside perspective, just enough speed was applied by him to carry the momentum of the attack forward. One impressive move that Nick did not predict.

After his feet connected to the ground once more, Donovan redistributed his weight between his legs with the right one carrying a majority of it, he used the momentum acquired by his lower half to carry his upper half forward and leaned his body nicely to the side before extending both of his arms ahead and unleashing a double punch on to the dummy with both of his fists placed in a nice vertical parallel to one another. Nick was very impressed, that was the kind of stance and moves that he saw in martial arts movies and he could not wait to learn a little more about it but, before he could inquire a little more about that, he saw as Donovan unmade his stance and winced with pain before nearly losing balance and falling to the ground. Luckily, the wolf caught himself and managed to remain on his feet before he could fall over.

Donovan placed his right paw over his knee and his legs shook momentarily as he stood up with an audible strain in his voice, Judy had stopped her exercise and Nick rushed forward to check if the wolf needed any help. Judy was the first to ask with concern:

- Agent Donovan, are you alright?

Donovan showed a little smile as he stood up completely and answered her without taking his attention or his paw away from his right knee:

- I'm… just fine. My bones tend to ache like this from time to time. Would anyone pick my cane, please?

Nick watched as Donovan raised his right arm and made a motion with his paw making his fingers grip the air two times to emphasize urgency, even if his voice did not convey it. The fox answered to that by walking to the wall where Donovan had left the item leaned over, the fox grabbed the cane and quickly turned around to hand it over to the wolf. Donovan received the cane and the item contributed a lot with helping him regain his balance, he grasped the handle firmly with his right paw and placed a lot of weight and will over the item as if it were some kind of totem or good luck charm that resonated with his own thoughts in a deeper level. Donovan took a long breath through his nose and let the air through his mouth, he looked to the two mammals next to him, concerned with his well-being, and assured them with a soft tone to his voice:

- I can't teach by example as well as I used to. I'm glad that I can still pass some more lessons forward and help out whenever I fell capable of doing so.

Donovan walked away from the dummy while being supported by his cane, he felt more adept with walking and the discomfort he felt on his leg before had mostly subsided. Nick and Judy waited for the wolf to stop moving and say something else before they could return to their practice and they did not have to wait long for that as he turned around, gestured towards Nick with his left paw and said:

- You may proceed whenever you're ready, mister Wilde.

Judy walked a step forward and Nick extended both of his arms in Donovan's general direction, even if it was not going to reach the wolf right away, Nick was still standing ready to help out in case the agent lost his balance again. Nick shot a look of minor concern up and asked:

- Are you sure you are alright? Do you need to sit down?

Donovan was touched by Nick's concern, the wolf merely showed a little side smile to the fox and answered:

- I'm fine. You do not have to worry yourself. A quick tea later and I'll be right as rain.

Nick lowered his arms and turned to face the training dummy placed not so far away from him and Donovan, the fox was preparing to unleash the same kind of attack he saw previously but he was having some trouble copying the starting stance he saw before. Nick raised his arms, turned sideways and faced the dummy with a decisive stare in his eyes, he moved his feet about as he tried to figure out the best positioning that would be made easiest to launch in the direction of the target while tucking his tail off to the right so that he wouldn't accidentally trip on it.

Donovan held on to the handle of his cane with both of his paws and stood straight like a sentinel as he overlooked Nick's hesitation to jump ahead without having figured out the perfect stance as well as Judy who had stopped her own exercise to watch her partner pull off the previously shown attack, silently sending good vibes his way. Nick managed to find a stance that felt right for him and he jumped to the target with great confidence but his hit was not as strong as it should be, he looked around to try and figure out what had gone wrong but his answer came shortly as Donovan said:

- You used the wrong leg to take the leap. Put weight on the left one and use it to spring forth. Try again.

Nick returned to his ready position and tried again, his next attempt was more stable but his fists did not connect in the intended way, his left punch touched the surface of the target much earlier than his right one. Donovan noticed that right away and spoke up:

- You must connect both fists within a much tighter area of effect otherwise the attack will not have the desired result. Try again.

Nick returned to his ready position and tried one more time and this time the attack was nicely executed. Nick raised his ears, extended his tail back a little more and leapt with great determination to the target before unleashing the double punch right at the center mark, releasing a short howl from his throat much like a martial artist from a movie scene as he did so to pump himself up even more. Donovan nodded satisfied and walked closer to Nick before saying:

- You're much stronger than you look, mister Wilde. Keep this up and work a little more on balance, you're rarely going to face off against enemies on the same height and mass category as you.

Nick swallowed some air and took in a couple of long breaths, performing the newly discovered attack took more out of him than he initially thought. Nick turned over to look at Donovan and asked him as sure as he had recovered some more air to speak up:

- You talking from personal experience?

Admitting it to be true but also throwing some light-hearted joke into the answer, Donovan leaned closer to the fox and asked:

- Does it really show that much?

Nick showed a toothy grin and turned over to Judy to catch the bunny smiling with a lot of satisfaction in her eyes, they were becoming stronger and more efficient together and it showed in spades, any lesson they could learn out in the city or within the walls of the precinct was something new and useful that they could take along in order to better protect the citizens of Zootopia. Nick and Judy proceeded with their training, occasionally stopping to practice the new attacks shown by Donovan mixed together with their usual fighting styles, it all panned out to be a very enjoyable and fruitful afternoon. Donovan walked past the two officers and left them to their training to pick up and redress his outer vest, he was putting it on nicely and buttoning it up when a thundering voice came to call out to him:

- Donovan, I have been looking for you all over. Where are the documents you were supposed to deliver earlier today?

It was the voice of chief Bogo and the buffalo was showing an impatient look on his face as he came over to remind Donovan about the schedule they were meant to keep. Donovan finished putting his outer wear on and pulled his pocket watch to check on the time, he was surprised to see how much time had already passed as everyone in the room noticed his eyes opening slightly wider and his ears dart upwards over his head, it was indeed much past the hour he had in mind to catch up with chief Bogo and with the rest of the chores he had in mind earlier that day. After re-pocketing his watch and clacking his cane in the direction of the gym entrance, Donovan answered the chief:

- Sorry, BB. I just stopped by to help officer Hopps and young mister Wilde here with some pointers to their training regimen.

Bogo placed the palm of his right paw over his face and slightly pinched the spot over his snout and between his eyes, almost as if he was trying to fight off a sudden headache. Bogo pointed to the wolf who was just approaching the exit door of the gym and spoke up:

- Don't you already have your own agents to train and direct? Why are you sudden so interested in giving pointers to my officers?

Donovan pinched the fabric of his clothes in a few selective spots as tried to get rid of any wrinkles that may have popped up as he put his outer wear back on, he shot a side glance at chief Bogo and said:

- I see great potential in your officers. I wish the agents I am assigned to tutor were this diligent during training. Young souls rarely stand to listen to the tips and tricks of an old dog like myself.

Bogo released a clicking noise through his mouth before taking a short dose of air and saying:

- Oh, please. You're only a decade or so older than me. You're not that much of a relic yet.

Donovan smiled and tapped the buffalo's left shoulder with his right paw before saying:

- Appreciate the kind words, BB. However, we both know that everyone of us sees a 'decade' differently in terms of time.

Bogo saw as the wolf walked past him and into the hallways, the buffalo turned around and pointed his right hoof in the air before saying:

- Would you, please, stop calling me that? It's already getting annoying. It's not okay for you to call me that.

There was a certain pressure in Bogo's voice, the nickname was well intended but the buffalo just did not appreciate being called as such, as the chief he had to be seen as a big authority figure by the other officers during every hour of the day. As Bogo watched Donovan slowly moving away while handling his cane a little steadier than before, he heard as Nick's voice spoke up and asked as a joke directed at the chief:

- Is it okay if 'I' call you that?

The answer came quickly as the chief turned around and said with a growling tone of voice being projected between his teeth, an iron look bordering on rage over his face and his left hoof pointing at the fox's general direction as he spoke up:

- Wilde, if you ever call me that, I'll personally tear your tail off and ring it around your scruffy neck.

Nick retreated by taking a single step back while showing the palms of his paws, having his ears lowered over his head and saying with an uncomfortable smile on his face:

- Woah! Hostile. It was just a joke, chief.

Bogo adjusted the neck piece of his uniform in order to reacquire his stoic demeanor before saying:

- I really do not care for your jokes, Wilde. Both of you finish up here and store the dummies back in place.

Judy was the one that would answer to that as she nodded and spoke up:

- Yes, sir.

Bogo walked away from the gym, having in mind the remainder of the paperwork he still had to do as well as the deployment checking from the other officers that had gone on patrol. Judy turned her attention back to the dummy that she was using fro practice, it felt like so much time had passed but she only got a small amount of training done, she still felt tired, somewhat drained, but she still had a lot of energy to keep going. As Judy lowered her ears and adjusted her posture to continue training, she heard Nick's voice as he pointed his right claw over his left shoulder while turning to her and joking:

- You know? I think he is actually getting used to me.

---

The work shift had come to an end, Nick and Judy were about to go over to the locker room and change out of their uniforms so that they could exit the precinct building and be on their ways but they were suddenly halted at the main lobby by the voice of Donovan calling out to them:

- Officer Hopps. Mister Wilde. Hang on a moment.

Donovan was walking over to them with his cane being held on his right paw and a small box being supported under his left arm, he walked with a bit more of a rushed step as soon as he saw the two officers turning their heads around to face him. Judy showed a little wave of her right paw in the air while Nick put his paws on his pockets and gave a little nod of his head as a quick and casual greeting, Judy walked a few short steps ahead to meet the wolf halfway on the lobby and asked of him:

- Hello again, agent Donovan.

The wolf halted his movement with one last and subtle clanking of his cane over the floor and spoke up:

- I'm glad I could talk to you two again before the shift ended. I have lost the notion of how time just flew by today.

Nick spoke up shortly after Donovan finished his greeting, the fox pointed down and asked:

- How's the leg?

Donovan looked down on his right leg, raised it up slightly and gave it a little shake before assuring Nick that he felt just fine after some rest earlier that afternoon, no one could perceive in that conversation that Donovan was not telling the whole truth, his leg still hurt a lot from the demonstration he presented the two officers during their training, he already scolded himself for being so careless but he still tried putting on a sympathetic face to talk to them. Donovan put his leg down and showed the reason why he had called out to Nick and Judy as he presented the bunny with the box he had under his left arm, gently turning it in her direction and grasping one of its corners firmly with his fingers as to not let the item accidentally fall to the ground even if it could survive a short drop from his arm without any damage.

Judy was surprised to see as the box was gifted to her and she already had a good notion of what the contents of the box actually were. As soon as Judy took the box and held it by balancing it over the palm of her right paw, she noticed that the cardboard was thick and solid but the box itself was not that weighty or overwhelming in size, there was a single threaded latch keeping the box closed and Judy was able to easily undo it in order to open it and reveal her brand new protective vest.

Judy released a loud and enthusiastic gasp as she laid eyes on her brand new piece of equipment, the insides of the box were laced with a special packaging paper to keep every different aspect of her new equipment separated and organized, it was mostly like that so it would be appealing for her eyes once she opened the box. Judy placed the freshly removed lid under the box so that she could drink in every detail about her new protective vest. The vest was similar in size and design to her old one but it had a few extra details to it, the vest was colored at a much darker blue and was thicker than the original one, the straps for the shoulders were double reinforced, the base was lower to protect her stomach area but still provide regular mobility and there was a spot right underneath the chest area reserved for small pouches, they were not big enough to comport most items that would be taken out during a patrol but they still looked very nice. Judy gave a short hop of happiness and looked over at Nick to say:

- I don't believe it! It's already here. My new uniform vest.

Nick looked over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of the item and spoke up:

- Wow, that was fast.

Donovan moved his cane until it was placed directly in front of him and grasped the handle lightly with both of his paws placed one over the other, he looked at Judy and called to her attention by speaking:

- Agent Savage wanted to be here and deliver it to you in person, but he had other important matters to attend to. He was a little disheartened to leave this morning without giving this to you himself, he also asked me to tell you that he has been overseeing the repair of your tranq gun. He has been looking for every excuse to talk to you once more.

Judy was a little flattered to hear that but most of the joyful tone that came from her voice was derived because she was still not over the fact that her new vest just looked really amazing and she really wanted to try it on right away. Judy looked at Donovan with the spark in her eyes that just would not fade away and said:

- Well… he does appear as a very experienced and dedicated agent. I do wish I could have a conversation with him as well.

Nick deviated his sight away from Judy, he now had a frown on his lips simply because he did not like to have agent Savage mentioned at the time. There was something about the bunny that presented the new equipment for the ZPD that did not sit well with the fox, Judy did not notice that but Donovan certainly did as he shot a quick look at the fox before turning his eyes back at Judy. With a short hop that quickly evolved into a dash towards the locker room, Judy ran off to change into her new vest while saying:

- Thanks a lot! I'm going to try it on right now.

Nick and Donovan watched as Judy ran off and disappeared into the far off hallway. Nick was very glad to see Judy so happy but his original track of thought was interrupted as Donovan's voice spoke up and asked of him:

- Do you have something against agent Savage, mister Wilde?

Nick turned to face the wolf with a confused look in his eyes as he asked:

- What?

Donovan rearranged his question as he gestured with his left paw towards Nick and spoke again:

- That little scoff just now did call to my attention. So, I just assumed that you seem to have some type of a problem with Jack.

Nick took his paws out of his pockets and crossed his arms before turning his face away so he wouldn't look at Donovan right in the eyes, the fox swallowed some saliva before speaking up:

- I didn't 'scoff'. I don't have any type of 'problem' with him. I just… get a weird vibe out of him.

Donovan leaned his head sideways to try and get a look at Nick's expression, get a read on his emotions with a more intrusive conversation tactic. Nick turned his face around but he didn't quite face the wolf directly as he continued to add to his answer:

- When he stepped into the bull pen and walked straight up to Judy like she was just dying to meet him it got me a little steamed inside. I never really appreciated meeting the kind of mammal that puts himself on the spot to call the attention of everyone else in a room without considering how it can disrupt others.

Donovan did not buy that bit of the conversation right away, he adjusted the left lapel of his outer vest, pulling it down with a supple tug of his left paw before he spoke again:

- I do not know what sort of 'vibe' you were getting from Jack, but I assure you that he did not want to disrupt anyone. He was just doing what he was asked to do during the demonstration and stopped to greet officer Hopps.

Nick turned his head a little more to the right to look over at Donovan and speak up:

- I know what I heard from his voice when he walked up to her at the bull pen. Polite or not, that doesn't mean he should have done that or that I have to immediately like the guy.

Donovan could see right through the words and colloquialisms of Nick's voice, the fox had the tone of a bratty kid escaping through his throat, he really cared for Judy and enjoyed her company and the sudden proximity of someone with other intentions behind a polite greeting could be an unforeseen hindrance that may affect her or the relationship that they have as friends and partners. Those worries unintentionally projected by Nick were unfounded but, then again, Donovan thought, relationships can be strange and strenuous for two mammals and introducing a third element with unknowable outcomes into the mix can affect the mentality of others in unpredictable ways.

Donovan felt that Nick needed to hear something to ease his mind and, maybe, sweep the minor hostilities harbored by Nick away from his mind. With a silent cleaning of his throat and a firmer grip on his cane as he turned to call to Nick's attention once more, Donovan took a breath and spoke up:

- Jack was relatively young when I recruited him into the ZBI, sometimes I think the troublemaker kid that I met out on the streets is still in there, screaming for attention and fighting to get out. Both his greeting and fumbles from yesterday just prove that to me, but I do know that he doesn't mean any real harm by it.

Nick had his ears raised, his mouth half open as he searched for any words to speak and his head slowly turning back to the right to look at the wolf's face. Donovan continued to speak after releasing a melancholic sigh from his mouth:

- When Jack enters a room he either wants to be loved and admired by every mammal in it or push a fight with the first guy that looks at him wrong. Those are the two sides of him that call out and the two sides of him that I had to learn how to live with as we both work closely during dispatches at the ZBI. He can be irritating beyond measuring at times but I know for a fact that he is a good guy.

Donovan finished that sentence while closing his lips to prevent a guffaw from escaping his mouth as he recalled the first time he and Jack met face to face, an aimless bunny that used to live alone and had joined a gang of hoodlums at some point, left behind to fend for himself against an old wolf out on the streets. Nick's right ear twitched as he caught the sound Donovan made, the wolf was quick to notice that and to explain the reason behind it:

- You know? When I met Jack the first time he picked a fight with me. It wasn't a tremendous battle for either of us but it was a remarkable moment as we got to know each other and I managed to recruit him for a life more meaningful than picking fights off the street. Trust me when I say it: Jack is frustrating, but he is a nice mammal to have around.

Nick showed a small frown as he closed his mouth and uncrossed his arms, his mouth slowly opened before he answered with a different tone of voice that pretty much admitted and also regretted the fact that he was wrong:

- Alright. I guess it was a little shitty of me to hate on the guy without knowing him that well.

Donovan nodded his head and showed a smile after getting the confirmation that Nick's thought processing had been nudged in the right direction. The wolf reached into the side pocket of his outer vest to once again pull out his pocket watch, he opened it and was surprised to see that the hours had once again escaped him that day, he even looked over at the clock posted at the main lobby to make sure that his own trusted timer was not wrong. Donovan spoke up as his tail twitched up and his ears lowered suddenly over his head:

- Goodness gracious! Is that the time?!

He put the pocket watch back in its original place before turning to Nick and saying:

- I'm already very late to meet up with another agent and talk about our newest initiative. I have to dash, mister Wilde. I'll see you and officer Hopps later.

Nick answered to that with a smile and a thumbs up, Donovan took that as his cue to walk with a hurried step towards the precincts front doors and leave the ZPD behind for the day. Nick was glad that he got to interact with the wolf agent once more that day, a part of his mind was actually excited to learn a little more about him and what he had to teach, maybe the new inquisitive police officer mindset that only surfaced as he began investigative studies alongside Judy. After seeing the wolf walk off, Nick moved in the direction of the front Desk to see if he could catch Benjamin or any other of the officers on their way out, he found the cheetah busy looking at his computer screen and decided to greet him:

- How's it going, Benjamin.

The cheetah quickly turned off the application on his computer screen and turned around to look at the fox while displaying a sunny smile on his face:

- Oh, Wilde. I… I'm good. I'm great. How about you?

Nick noticed how nervous Benjamin was, how the feline's eyes quickly turned over in the direction of the computer before, just as quickly, turning back to look back at him. Nick leaned his head to the left and ventured a guess about what Benjamin was doing just before Nick walked up on him:

- Benjamin…

Nick asked with a demeaning tone of voice directed at the cheetah, almost as if he was about to scold a kid that was caught doing something he was not supposed to, but Nick was well humored as he asked which relaxed Benjamin as Nick posted the question:

- Were you playing pinball on the computer just now?

Nick pointed his right claw at the spot right behind Benjamin and the feline saw no other choice but admit to it as he lowered his ears and his head before admitting to it:

- Yeah, sorry.

Nick laughed once and shook his head slowly before looking at Benjamin once more and telling him:

- It's alright. I do it all the time as well. More of a solitaire guy myself.

Benjamin laughed that off and asked of Nick:

- So, has you request for the new taser gun been approved?

Nick shrugged that question off before he answered:

- Jury's still out on that one. I sure hope I get one though. The presentation on them really had me hooked on the design.

Benjamin was not a big fan of that sorts of thing, he wasn't a great shot and he always tripped over himself when handling one of the tranq guns issued by the ZPD. Before either Nick or Benjamin could ask something else to one another or put out a comment about the changes in routine that might occur within the precinct, Judy's voice was heard from right behind them as the bunny asked:

- Hey there. How do I look?

Nick and Benjamin turned their heads to look at Judy and to the newest addition to her uniform. Judy was now wearing the safety vest as well as a pair of knee guards that went along very well with the blue of her traditional uniform, it was noticeable how the vest itself was thicker than the previous one she used to wear as it accentuated her chest and the muscles on her arms, mostly because of the extra spacing used by the side pouches along with the accompanying belt that was made of very perceptible stronger material. Judy held on a pose with her arms open and her posture straight, Benjamin released a long gasp and answered to her question as he gestured with both of his paws pointing in her direction:

- Judy, you look amazing. The darker blue definitely fits with the new safety vest.

Judy released a single laugh as she agreed with him:

- I know. It's so comfy too. My older vest used to snag up on my shoulders after a little while. Not a problem for this one.

Judy slowly turned her eyes away from Benjamin to meet with Nick and his smiling face, the fox just stood there, next to the front desk, with a sweet and sincere smile on his face, his eyes slowly blinking and Judy not really sure what he was going to say in contribution to the conversation. He could have answered with a simple compliment by now or a joke, that would be expected from him, but he just stood there smiling and Judy could not help but stare at him with a similar smile to her face as well. Benjamin watched with great expectations as the two mammals exchanged long silent looks at one another, felt like a dramatic scene from a movie from his outside perspective. It was a long silence but it was also a peaceful and soft silence shared by the two mammals at that moment, a silence that was finally broken after a few seconds of interval as Judy asked:

- Well, slick, don't you have anything to say right now?

Nick opened his mouth to release a clicking noise from his tongue, he walked closer to Judy by slowly throwing one feet after another in front of him and, just as soon as he was at a certain distance closer to her, he began answering her:

- You do know that, no matter what you are wearing, my answer is always going to be honest and it's always going to be: 'You look great'; Right?

Judy shrugged that off at first, raising her shoulders up and them lowering them like the fox's compliment was no big deal at all. Judy really appreciated those words coming from him, she measured her excitement and made a gentle gesture as she pointed her right paw in his direction and told him:

- Oh, I do know that and I appreciate it a lot. I just really like to hear you saying it.

Nick placed his knuckles on his hips and released a subtle laugh between his teeth that was followed soon enough by Judy releasing a giggle, Benjamin was just there watching them and he seriously could not get enough of it. Judy turned her head to the right, slightly leaning her body over to look at Benjamin and direct another question at him, the cheetah snapped out of the distracted state of mind he was in watching how adorable the interaction between the two mammals was and heard as Judy spoke up:

- Benjamin, have you seen chief Bogo around? I wanted to ask him if it was all set to approve this vest for patrol use in the future. Maybe clarify with him in case there are more doubts about the composition and weight of the equipment itself.

Benjamin did not have to search his memory too hard before answering Judy's question, he pointed with his left claw to the hallway leading to the bull pen and said:

- Well, you just missed him. He stopped by to clarify somethings with me when, all of a sudden, a crew of reporters came knocking at the front doors of the precinct. They followed him closely with cameras and microphones but I didn't catch wind of what they were after.

Judy immediately felt a spark of panic lighting up inside her, the presence of the press always made her feel nervous since she did not put a lot of trust on the flow of information and how it may affect the ZPD overall. Judy took a quick breath as soon as the shock subsided and she heard as Benjamin spoke up while still pointing towards the bull pen:

- I think he is already done with them by now. You might find him by the bull pen if you hurry over there.

Judy turned in the direction Benjamin was pointing at but she didn't even have to move over in any fashion since the buffalo chief emerged from the hallway being relentlessly annoyed by the small group of inquisitive reporters following close behind him. Bogo had managed to contain the press group in the bull pen and answer a few questions but they only wanted to know more about the supposed collaboration between the police department and the so rarely mentioned bureau of investigations, it seemed like the collaboration escalated to the realms of rumor outside the precinct walls.

Bogo turned around to show his hooves at the press crew and tell them that there would be no more questions answered that day but one of the reporters, a short looking bovine with a brown hat positioned between his two short horns, pointed with his pen held in his right hoof to the fox and the bunny standing right in the middle of the lobby and yelled out so that all the others would hear him:

- Wait! There they are. Officer Hopps and Wilde.

The other reporters gasped and decided to leave the chief in peace as to proceed and annoy a different set of targets. Bogo released a sigh and placed his left hoof over his head as he was simultaneously relived to be free of the obnoxious reporters while also worried about the questions they would ask to the two officers right behind him. Bogo turned around and saw the group of walking in a clump until they could reach Judy and Nick, the two officers were nearly surrounded and Judy was tempted to retreat from their questions but, with Nick beside her, she was far more calm than the time during her previous press conference and she felt more prepared to answer their questions.

The group of different mammals, all presenting themselves in nice outfits and with special security passes placed around their necks, began airing their questions all at the same time until they realized that overcrowding the two officers was not going to get them the answers they sought and opted to ask one at a time. The first inquiry that was understood without any interference came from the bovine who had spotted Judy first, he leaned his back slightly down and approached the audio recording device he had previously stored in his back pocket next to Judy as he asked her:

- Officer Hopps, could you please clarify the cause behind the string of robberies across the districts of Zootopia? How could the robbers enter and vandalize the shops without triggering any alarms?

Judy already knew the answer to that questions, her eyes moved frantically for a couple of seconds as she scanned the crew looking attentively at her and waiting silently for an answer, any answer, out of her. Judy took a breath, put on a brave face, tightened the grip on her right paw before slowly releasing it and promptly answering to the question:

- Well… After weeks worth of investigation and study, it was confirmed that a group of four thieves was responsible for the coordination of a string of robberies across some of the most famous bakeries of Zootopia. The thieves utilized a substance that froze and shattered the glasses of the display windows without the need of harsh impact, allowing them to enter the establishments without raising any alarms.

The reporters took note of all of that but the question that came shortly after was directed at Nick as another reporter, a familiar looking female leopard that asked:

- Officer Wilde, since you have enlisted in the ZPD you have been involved in a total of six arrests in less than a month, that shatters the records for any new officers in the precinct history.

Nick was surprised to hear that, he leaned his body to the right as he looked for chief Bogo, standing next to the crowd of reporters in stand by just in case there was any problem that he needed to step on during the interview. Nick looked over at the buffalo and asked for confirmation:

- It does?!

Bogo's answer to that was a simple nod of his head. Seeing that. Nick turned over to the reporters and said:

- Apparently, it does.

The leopard returned to her previously intended question before she was interrupted by Nick's doubt, she put the microphone she was holding in her left paw closer to Nick's face and asked:

- What is it like working at the ZPD alongside Judy Hopps?

Nick was very nervous to answer that, this was the first time he was being interviewed and it did not feel like the appropriate time for a joke or a snappy comeback. The fox took a short breath through his nose and smiled before he was sure about the words he wished to speak into the microphone:

- Well… it's really great to work alongside Judy. She is a great officer, she is astute and determined, she is also cool under pressure. I'm also glad to work alongside other mammals that help out during tougher spots, like the officers from precinct two that helped us during the arrest of the store robbers.

Nick pointed his right claw at the camera before showing a little wave and speaking up in recognition:

- If you guys are watching, thanks a lot.

Nick's sincere thanks felt like a nice touch during the interview and his words of praise made Judy a little embarrassed as she tried turning her sight away from her partner, that is, until her attention was called again by another reporter making a different question. The pig that was immediately to her left, one of the few reporters present who was actually closest to her size, took a single step closer and asked of her:

- Officer Hopps, how did the robbers attained the substance that allowed them to destroy the glass windows of the stores? Was it bought or illicitly acquired?

Judy gestured with both of her arms moving down before the words came out of her mouth to form the answer:

- Although the robbers have been arrested and are on the process of transfer and interrogation, there is still no concrete answer about how they managed to acquire the freezing solution that was confiscated. The tank used to transport the solution has no markings, logos or a serial number. Whomever acquired the substance covered the tracks very well.

That answer was honest, understandable, but it did not leave a lot of ease amongst the minds of the reporters. Another question came from the back of the group, a zebra that was squeezing himself past the group in order to put his recording device closer to Nick and Judy but finding it rather challenging since none of the other reporters wanted to give him a passing space to come closer, he projected his voice and asked anyway:

- Officer Wilde, can you give us any more details about the so called 'collaboration' between the ZPD and the so called Zootopia Bureau of Investigations?

Nick made a pinching motion with both of his paws and quickly lowered them to his sides as he answered the question:

- The ZBI are a hardworking group of mammals that work on the same objective as us here at the ZPD, keeping mammals safe, making sure that the peaceful way of life we all earned after arresting Bellweather is kept as pristine as possible. Their help in developing new gear and methods of patrol and surveillance has been invaluable and their agents have been personally responsible for some great changes.

Nick finished that sentence as he pointed at Judy with both of his paws like he was a seller unveiling a new product from behind a curtain and saying shortly after:

- Judy here is sporting some of the newest safety vest articles, courtesy of the ZBI.

Judy seriously did not appreciate Nick calling attention back to her or to what she was dressing, for a second she was taken back to how her sisters back in Bunnyburrow disapproved of her choices in wardrobe and how she hated it. Soon enough, the reporters that had access to cameras were all taking pictures of Judy and there was mumbling as they discussed inconspicuously about the nature of that safety outfit. Judy wanted to cover herself up, she didn't want those pictures taken and it took Nick a moment to realize just then how uncomfortable she actually was, the reporters stopped taking pictures shortly after and one final question was placed by the reporter just in front of them, the same bovine who posted the first question:

- Ever since you became partners you have been seen as an unstoppable duo in the employment of the ZPD. What does it take to work so well together?

Nick and Judy shared a look at one another after hearing that, they thought about how to best answer that question and if they should answer it together. Building on each other's words to answer that, Nick began by pointing a claw of his left paw in the air without making an exaggerated gesture out of it and speaking up:

- Bravery.

Judy followed soon by speaking in complement:

- Determination.

Nick kept the momentum going as he said:

- Strength.

Judy agreed to that with a nod and another piece to the answer:

- Intelligence.

Nick gestured with both of his paws clutching into fists over his chest as he said:

- Instinct.

To which Judy replied with what could have been the last piece to that answer:

- Trust.

But Nick then felt the need to add one last item that was followed with good humor on his part as he made a subtle pinching gesture with the pointing finger and the thumb of his left claw as he said:

- And a little bit of luck doesn't hurt either.

The humorous answer from Nick propped some laughs from the crowd, Judy didn't mind that too much, she knew that luck was not a discerning factor in how they did things during their shifts but she couldn't deny how much they have been fortunate in working together, investigating scenes and apprehending criminals since they started out as partners. Chief Bogo came close to intervene as soon as the laughs had subsided, he postponed the asking of any other questions for a later time and asked the press crew to exit the building, everyone complied without much of a hassle and the lobby of the precinct one building became far less noisy, Bogo thought how thankful he was that now he could rationalize a little better and walked back in the direction of his office while wishing Nick and Judy a good rest of the day.

Benjamin stood by his desk, watching as the interview unfold and how the two officers acted around one another, a new idea formed inside his mind and it seemed to be fairly acceptable, if not for the small part of his minds that interpreted as wishful thinking for a fraction of a second. Nick and Judy were about to leave the precinct building for the day, they walked out the door and strolled down to the park nearby before they each departed on their respective ways, much like they did at the end of every work shift. Judy had some words directed at Nick, mostly about how she felt uneasy having all of those pictures taken of her and her new vest, they stopped near the center of the park square to talk and the fox posted an excuse soon after:

- Look, I didn't want to make you feel bad in the picture, fluff, I swear.

Judy placed her right paw over her biceps as she spoke up:

- No, I… I know that, Nick. I just didn't feel like getting my picture taken today like that.

Nick leaned his body forward as he tried to appear a little closer and relatable to Judy as he pointed the thumb of his left claw at his own chest and said:

- I was a little camera shy when I was a kid as well, fluff. Now I jump at the chance to look good in a pic.

Judy shook her head and raised her ears as she politely disagreed with Nick perception of her and said:

- It's not that I'm camera shy, Nick. I just feel a little… conscious about my appearance sometimes. It's… silly, I know.

Nick relaxed his arms and looked down on Judy, he placed his right paw over Judy's right shoulder and said with a soft volume to his voice:

- You know you look great, right?

Judy showed a smile that gradually grew as she directed her eyes at Nick and answered with a cocky tone added to her voice, she leaned her head slightly to the left and said:

- Do I now that? Yes. Yes, I do.

Nick released a laugh and tapped Judy's shoulder, he really enjoyed when she made callbacks like that and it felt like it would never get old. The conversation that they were having could have stretched a little further but Nick received a message on his cellphone that reminded him of the hour that he was supposed to meet Finnick, he turned over to Judy and said:

- Oh Listen, fluff, I gotta bounce. I marked with Finn to come over to my place so we could watch the game together. He said today might be the day his team gets out of a long lived rut that has been going on. I'll see you tomorrow?

Judy nodded her head and assured him with her answer:

- Definitely.

Nick waved goodbye for the day and they each walked their separate ways. Back inside the precinct, Benjamin was hunched over his desk while supporting the weight of his upper body on his elbows and looking over to the front doors, having his mind wandering off ever since Nick and Judy left. The work shift for the day was just about over and he had to organize his things before leaving and he proceeded to do so without letting the smile on his face fade away. Officer Wolford approached the front desk to check if Benjamin was up for a little talk before the end of the shift, the wolf leaned against the edge of the counter and asked:

- How's it going, Clawhauser? You seem to be in a good mood today.

Benjamin turned over and greeted the wolf as he spoke up to confirm:

- Well… today was a really nice day. No major crisis, a smooth talk with the press and the confirmation that the equipment transfer from the ZBI is already in motion.

Wolford kept a straight face as he placed a paw over his chest and said:

- Yeah, I've been thinking about getting one of those armored vests fitted for me. Never know when you might run into trouble during patrol. Plus, I think I'll look hot as hell in one of those.

After letting those words out, Wolford displayed a smile that only caused Benjamin to roll his eyes at him. Wolford soon had a radical change in mood as his face became suddenly sour, Benjamin was curious and asked of him:

- What's wrong? Did something bad happen?

Wolford turned his eyes to the left to look at Benjamin as his face turned to deviate from full eye contact, he released a sigh and his answer came soon after:

- Yes and no.

Benjamin raised a brow of confusion as he heard that, he really didn't know what could be gnawing at the wolf until Wolford confirmed it by adding to his previous answer:

- I made a bet with Grizzolli a while ago, convinced myself that Wilde and Hopps wouldn't make it out to be such a great pairing. Boy, was I wrong about that.

Benjamin showed a smile again as he got the confirmation that it was actually nothing too serious. He returned to organizing things from behind his counter as he spoke:

- They have become quite the duo under the precinct roof.

Wolford made an exaggerated gesture with both his arms as he said:

- You're telling me. The month mark that Grizzolli and I had set up is practically at an end and those two haven't slowed down at all. Every time they go out on patrol they seem to be closer friends than when they left. With such a nice record going for them the ZPD is being shown in nice light by the media and that is great for them, not great for my pocket.

Benjamin released the sound of a giggle as it sounded like Wolford agreed that Nick and Judy were becoming remarkably close as officers and confidants. Benjamin turned over while carrying an empty box of donuts being held on both of his paws that he was about to throw out in the trash and he took a short breath before speaking:

- Well… maybe there is a good reason for that.

Wolford was a little unsure about the tone Benjamin used to say that, the canine officer turned his head around to look straight at the cheetah and found him closing a few last applications on his computer screen while humming an unknown melody. Wolford gestured with a wave of his left paw directed at Benjamin as he asked with his ears lowered and a single sway of his tail pointing to the right:

- What do you mean by that?

- Isn't it obvious?

Benjamin said that without taking his face away from the computer screen, he could sort of see Wolford's reflection at the screen and he turned around to face the wolf for real right after the last application had been closed down. Wolford remained still and confused after hearing Benjamin's words but his clarification came only a few seconds later as the cheetah took to reminiscing about Nick's first week at the ZPD:

- Remember a while ago when you came over to talk to me and I said that there was something more? Something else mixed into the way they interacted, how they talked and made their dynamic work.

Benjamin's voice and facial expression seemed to grow far more joyful and electric as he spoke on that subject, like he had been concocting many theories in his mind devoted only to that particular topic. Wolford did recall his friend make a mention of such a thing during a time not that long past, the canine nodded his head and answered with an awkward pause on his voice since he wasn't exactly sure about where that conversation was going:

- Yeah. I… think I remember something like that.

Benjamin had a smug smile as he gestured with his right claws pointing into the air and said:

- I said I was going to find out what it was and I believe I just did.

Wolford leaned a little closer as he asked:

- Well… don't keep me guessing on it. What is this 'something else' that you found out?

Benjamin put the palms of his paws together in front of his mouth and took a long breath of air through his nose before lowering both of his paws in an angle in front of him and place his answer, the theory that had him giddy for quite a while:

- They have a romantic interest in one another.

Wolford had his ears raised straight over his head as he heard that, he placed the palm of his left paw as he tried confirming what he just heard:

- You think that Wilde and Hopps…are crushing on each other?

Benjamin nodded his head quickly, moving up and down in a repeated motion that showed just how excited he was to be sharing that theory with someone else, however, sharing that line of thought did not have the desired impact on the wolf as he suddenly began to laugh out loud. Wolford's laugh was not terribly loud but it still echoed a bit around the nearly shallowed lobby of the precinct, Benjamin stood still, not knowing why Wolford found that so humorous, the wolf laughed on while having the palm of his left paw over his eyes but he turned to look back at Benjamin while some of the laughter was still plenty audible in his voice to ask:

- Are you being serious right now?

Benjamin nodded his head and reiterated that he was being very serious when he spoke his theory to Wolford but the wolf officer just got it as the cue to laugh even more about that as he placed his left paw in front of his muzzle in an attempt to hold the rest of the laugh back. Benjamin was becoming quite steamed as Wolford seemed to keep thinking that those words were nothing more than a joke and the scene called to the attention of some other officer who was hanging out next to the lobby, Fangmeyer had her ears up as she got wind of the Wolf's laugh, she thought his laugh was annoying. Officer Fangmeyer was just getting a quick drink of water before she stepped through the lobby and out of the building, the area near the front doors of the building were usually so quiet but the sound of laughter called to her ears and she decided to investigate as soon as she finished sipping on the cup she just filled up with cold water from the nearby filter.

Fangmeyer was out of uniform at that time, she was already dressed in a thick red shirt that was complemented in looks by a stylish jacket over her shoulders, her heavy steps were heard as she approached the front desk and asked:

- What's going on here? Is there some joke you're not telling me?

Fangmeyer waited with crossed arms for an explanation and Benjamin was just about to speak up when he got cut off by Wolford who looked straight up to the tiger and said:

- Clawhauser here was just telling how he thinks that Hopps and Wilde are crushing on one another. Could you imagine those two actually dating?

Interspecies relationships existed in the world but that was not something discussed in such a level just yet in Zootopia, not many mammals were open minded enough to accept such a development in relations between two individuals that did not belong to the same species group and that is why it was rarely spoken, that was a fact to beings that were portrayed in the same category, one could hardly imagine prey and predator ever crossing such a barrier. The reason for the topic to be avoided varied, some believed it was a matter of religion, others thought about the genetic implications that the mix of two different species could have down the line but, even though there was no law forbidding the romantic and sexual involvement between two mammals of different species most individual simply opted to avoid the subject entirely. Benjamin was aware of the scope during the conversation but he was positively not joking.

Fangmeyer uncrossed her arms and her iron expression, the inquisitive face that she usually wore through the station as she kept her façade as a tough officer in check, suddenly became more relaxed as she walked a single step closer to Benjamin and said with a touch of relief in her voice:

- Oh, my God! Finally, somebody said something.

Wolford had his laugh trapped down his throat as he heard that and Benjamin was just plain surprised to hear that, he never figured Fangmeyer to be one to keep track of gossips or place any comment on the romantic involvement of others. Still getting closer to the front desk so she could talk with Benjamin about that subject in a more convert manner, Fangmeyer gestured by tapping the claws of her right paw over the frame of the counter and asked:

- Have you heard or seen anything that can be considered concrete? Whenever I hear Hopps just going on and on about Wilde she just gets lost in this whole little world of her own, I honestly think it would be weird if there was nothing going on between them in that fashion.

Wolford stood in silence with his mouth half open and his eyes squinting and very unsure about what to say, Fangmeyer and Benjamin had started a new conversation route of their own. The small group gathered by the front desk called the attention of other officers that were just moving by the main lobby as Francine, Grizzolli, Delgato and even Snarlov came closer one after the other; first of them all came Francine, always the curious elephant asking about more details about what she just overheard:

- What fashion? Between who? What did I miss?

Fangmeyer clarified that as she said:

- Benjamin thinks that Wilde and Hopps are going to end up dating.

Francine rolled up the tip of her trunk and placed both of her paws over her chest, she spoke up as soon as the surprise subsided:

- Oh, goodness, they would make such an adorable couple.

Francine's squeaky voice as she gushed over while imagining that scenario called to Delgato who came over, still in uniform and with a comb being held in his left paw as he adjusted the front of his mane and asked straight out:

- What happened? Did someone break the lottery?

Francine turned over as she heard the lion coming right behind her and pointed both her right arm and her trunk in the direction of the front desk to answer:

- We're talking about Nick and Judy. Benjamin thinks that they are in the mits of becoming a couple.

Delgato stopped adjusting his mane and stored the comb he was using inside the pocket by the lapel of his shirt, his eyes moved frantically as he asked with a stupefied look on his face:

- You're talking about that?! Can we even talk about that?! I want to talk about that.

Suddenly another voice joined the group of gossiping officers as Grizzolli and Snarlov approached them, the two bears were coming from the far staircase to the right side of the lobby, both of them had finished archiving their last bits of paperwork for the day and they couldn't help but catch wind of the conversation flaring up throughout the lobby as soon as they ascended the stairs. Grizzolli walked in front with Snarlov following close behind, the large bear up front was the one who introduced himself to the conversation as he spoke up:

- It's about damn time too.

There was now a great group of mammals gathered by the front desk of the lobby and thy were all willing and excited to talk about the same subject. Grizzolli kept the conversation going as he commented on something that Higgins told him quite a while ago:

- Higgins once told me that Hopps and Wilde were all cozy during their ride along to the hospital on that day when we arrested Bellweather. He told me that they were acting and talking as 'more than just friends', they clearly had been through a lot together even back then. Clearly they always had a good thing going on among them.

Fangmeyer kindly disagreed on that as she raised both of her paws slightly in front of everyone and said:

- No way. By Hopps' account, Wilde has always been an annoying clown, but he also has a lot of grit and a good head on his shoulders, when he is willing to take stuff serious that is. I think their partnership is quite the match.

Francine interjected as she put both of her paws together without making too much noise and spoke up with a giddy tone in her voice:

- It's not about 'matching', it's about 'chemistry'. Haven't you notice how Hopps' face lights up every time she talks about Wilde. If they have known each other for such a long time, I think it's possible that there is definitely a tone of romance going on there.

Delgato spoke right after as he gestured with his paw pointing in the general direction of the locker room way to the back of the precinct and said:

- Wilde is always going on and on about Hopps and how she kicks ass. I don't know if romance is the right angle but he is definitely taking grounds to ask her out.

The topic bounced off against each of the officers, they all have been colleagues working under the precinct one building for quite a while, it had been quite some time since they gathered together to talk like that but there was no ill intention in their actions, they only wished the best towards Nick and Judy as they did for any other member of the ZPD. That moment between the congregated officers had similarities to a family coming together to speak about something that has been hanging in the air and exerting some pressure from some time even though no one wished to admit it out in the open. The conversation just kept going as the officers gathered around Benjamin kept stoking the talk in the same direction until Wolford's voice was heard out in the back saying:

- You guys are all insane. There is no way Hopps and Wilde are going to end up together on a dating basis.

All eyes turned to Wolford, they all thought that his opinion on the matter was derided from the species barrier that existed between Nick and Judy, at least that was the conclusion everyone in the lobby arrived at after hearing the tone of voice that he used. Fangmeyer showed her steel stare in the direction of the wolf, crossed her arms and showed a frown as she turned to the wolf and asked with a tone that felt cold as ice as she demanded an answer from him:

- And why would that be, officer Wolford?

Everyone felt a chill in the air as Fangmeyer spoke to Wolford when she asked that, Wolford already knew the tiger well and he was not intimidated by her tone as he responded to her icy look with a look of his own that made him look imposing in a different sort of way. Wolford placed his detailed explanation behind his previous reasoning as he took a deep breath and gestured around with both of his paws as he aired out his explanation almost as if he had Nick and Judy represented in front of him as small game pieces and he felt the need to clarify important things about them even if no one could see it unravel by like in his mind. Wolford explained out loud:

- Because, Hopps and Wilde could not be any more different from one another. Hopps is a calm and sweet country girl, we all know she is tough but she is a rule follower through and through while Wilde, on the other end of the spectrum, is the textbook definition of a wild card. He cracks jokes whenever he doesn't feel like busting facts like he's trying to win a contest and veers off protocol pretty damn consistently. I know that there is the whole 'opposites attract' talk but there is such a thing as too much opposite.

Every other officer looked over at Fangmeyer and at Wolford, the tiger was left in the same pose as she was before with her arms crossed but with her steel stare completely undone by that logic. Everyone added that new shred of shared opinion to their minds, it was true that Nick and Judy had discernible differences in their personalities that could classify them as incompatible and that was the angle Wolford chose to view the situation, not as a species centric point of view like everyone had initially thought. There was a moment of silence as the other officers thought about what was just said, Even Benjamin, quickly tapping his left claws over the counter, was having a little bit of doubt about that, Francine was the one who broke the silence as she said:

- Well… the weird thing is: He is not exactly wrong.

Wolford raised his arms into the air in victory as if those words were given to him like an award for 'not being exactly wrong' at that moment. After lowering his arms to his side, the wolf looked around and answered:

- Thank you. Now, was that so hard?

The argument seemed to have stopped for the time being, the officers gathered around the front desk fell into silence as they thought about the previously discussed subject but, out of ostensibly nowhere, Snarlov's voice was heard as the polar bear raised his paw and said:

- Look, I might not have had as much time around Hopps and Wilde as the rest of you, but I do believe that they are an incredible duo and they would make just as good of a couple. However, do you think their work dynamic would change if that were to happen.

The silence was cut but it only intensified after Snarlov posted that theory, the officers were all gathered in a misshapen circle and exchanging even more looks as they were not sure what to say next, except for Benjamin who murmured not caring if anyone would hear him saying:

- Food for thought.

Not wanting to dwell in silence for any longer and place her own opinion front and center of the conversation, Fangmeyer makes a dismissive gesture with both of her paws like she was imitating a diva opening her way through a crowd of slack jawed mammals in her way and speaks up:

- Changed or not, I still think that Wilde is going to ask Hopps to date him.

Delgato agreed with her with a pointing gesture of his left paw in her direction and a nod of his head which caused his mane to flop all over the place and to which Grizzolli to add to the talk, he replied by saying:

- No way, Hopps is the one who is going to ask him out. I know her and she is brave like that.

Francine stepped in with a gossiping whisper of her own as she said:

- I'm actually pretty sure that they are already dating and have been keeping it a secret.

Once more, theories started flying around that circle and Benjamin was taken by sheer delight as he witnessed all of that, it was good for him to see that his fellow officers were just as much into 'shipping' the adorable pair of officers as he was in a way. Wolford saw an opportunity to make it clear once and for all that he was right all along, he felt the rush of odds and possibilities flying around over their heads and he wanted to seize it right away. With a pointing gesture that employed both of his paws, Wolford spoke up as he once again called to the attention of everyone in the lobby:

- Well, if you're all so sure about what is going on with Wilde and Hopps why don't we make it a bet and make it more interesting:

Grizzolli already knew where that was going but it was starting to get repetitive when it came down to the wolf bad luck streak. With a sharp look in his eyes and his mouth turning into a comically stern frown as his lips pressed together, Grizzolli leaned closer and inquired:

- Wow, you barely lost a bet with me and you're already jumping on a new one. You just refuse to learn your lesson, don't you?

To which Wolford responded with:

- Hey, you waste every chance you don't take and I take every chance that comes my way. Odds are I'm bound to win big sometime soon.

Grizzolli counteracted that by rolling his eyes away from Wolford and saying:

- Yeah, one would think with how much 'chances' you take on every month.

Wolford dismissed the clear sarcastic tone that the bear used to say that and turned back to the rest of the officers as he said:

- Whatever. I am willing to bet big on this and anyone is welcome to join in it.

Everyone looked right and left as they waited to see if anyone else would get on board with that idea, surprisingly, Fangmeyer was the first one to give a short step ahead into the circle and say:

- Hey, I'm in.

No one expected the tigress to be interested in betting anything, she often showed the displeased expression every time she heard about the possibility of taking part in a game of chance, in her personal opinion there was always some kind of sham in the system that would prevent anyone from actually winning. Francine placed her paws in front of her trunk, her face was turned over in the direction of her tigress friend as she spoke up with a tone of astonishment in her voice:

- Fangmeyer, you never bet on anything, ever.

To which she answered with confidence:

- Hey, playing against a sucker like Wolford here is not a bet, it's an investment.

The wolf certainly did not appreciate that comment as he pointed a claw of his right paw in the direction of Fangmeyer and said:

- We'll see how much of a 'sucker' I am once I win the big time. I know I will.

Delgato cound sense the tension and pressure growing amidst that scene, some of the hair on his mane were standing up and he thought about taking a part on that risky business as well, the lion shook his left paw and took a short step forward as he told the group:

- Hey, if you're all in, then I'm in as well.

Francine was very surprised to hear that, she turned to the lion standing so close to her and spoke his name in clear disapproval:

- Delgato! That is so not like you.

Snarlov could hardly believe how that moment was unraveling for all of them, what should have been just a simple conversation to be kept a secret was evolving into a scene straight from a movie as they talked about odds and the favor that certainty would bring one of them. Some minutes pass by, the sun was already setting off in the distance and the night shift of the ZPD was about to start, chief Bogo would soon pass by and order everyone to either head on home or file an exorbitant amount of paperwork to apply for more work, a decision had to be made among them sooner or later. By the near end of the conversation it was settled that every present officer would file a bet on what the future or possibly unseen circumstances of the relationship between Nick and Judy could be, Benjamin became the one in charge on keeping tabs on everyone's scores and even Francine gave out to peer pressure as she also decided to join in on the gamble, the final betting tally became as it follows written on a little notebook provided by Clawhauser:

*Dating in the stretch of one month, Wilde asks her out= Fangmeyer and Delgato betting $\50 each.

*Dating in the stretch of one month, Hopps asks him out= Snarlov, Benjamin and Grizzolli $\50 each.

*They are already dating= Francine covering with $\70 and optimism.

*Three months' time, no romantic involvement= Wolford's opinion with $\150 upfront.

#Sum total= $\470 to be divvied up among the winners.

The bet was made and the money had been safely stored away by Benjamin inside of a tiny lockbox that was going to keep hidden away until the result of the bet was determined. It was strictly against protocol to having wide-ranged bets inside the walls of the precinct one building, Bogo himself had given his own officers several ears full of harsh words every time they decided to place betting money on minor things like patrol assignments or even sport statistics, so it was agreed that the most recently made bet among the ZPD officers was going to be kept under wraps and away from chief Bogo's ears. The odds were great and all the officers left the precinct with a touch of regret in their minds for having paid off what could have been a risky endeavor, except for Wolford, this time he was sure that he would win big.

---

The next day had arrived and Judy felt the energy of the morning to come invade her body while being received with a very welcome hum on her part as she opened her eyes and sat straight over her own bed. Judy jumped out of her bed and turned over to organized her pillows as well as fold her sheets as soon as she finished performing a quick stretch so her body would wake up properly.

Judy was very excited to go to work, see Nick, officially debut her new equipment and perform her best at work. Judy felt really hungry and decided to get something to eat before preparing herself and her uniform for the track to work, she dashed towards the kitchen and prepared something simple to get her expediently started with her morning routine, a bowl of cereal with a small dose of warm milk to help wash the meal down her throat. The cereal Judy liked to eat was not one of a famous brand, her father always told her that sugary cereals like the ones seen on television have way too much additives in them that do not contribute to a balanced breakfast so she was already used to picking the brand that was not only delicious but nutritious as well.

After finishing consuming the cereal, scrolling real fast through the morning news in her cellphone and washing the bowl she had just used by the sink, Judy moved to the bathroom to get a once over before getting dressed, picking her things and heading off to work but she would be delayed during her routine in an unexpected manner. Judy already knew that she had to get on to work and there was still a bit of time left until the start calling out of her shift but there was something very important she had to do on that day in particular, after entering the bathroom and searching around inside the medicine cabinet for the one bottle she was looking for, Judy became quite distressed after realizing that the little orange bottle with the bright blue label was completely empty:

- What?! Oh, no! No, no, no, no! I could have sworn that there was still a little bit left.

Judy started to freak out, talking to herself as she chewed her own mind up for having forgotten to buy something that was considered by her quite essential for her routine. It is a notorious fact among mammals that bunnies, hares and rabbits in general are a very sexually active group as far as species go, Judy was no exception. When she was a younger bunny and went through her first estrus cycle it was very stressful because she chose to not tell her parents what she felt like at the time and she did not know exactly what was happening to her body, she felt warm, wobbly, energized, every piece of that strange feeling rushed around inside of her all at the same time, trapping her inside her own body and losing track of all the strange thoughts which invaded her. Only when the panic overtook her and she could not take it anymore, she spoke to her mother who consoled her and assured that what was happening to her body was natural.

Judy's mother had a long talk with her, Judy was a smart bunny and she understood right away that the biological cycle affecting her way to think and move about was something that she should ultimately not fear but embrace as a part of her life as a bunny and as a female, however, she still did not wish to experience something that intense time after time and she asked her mother to help her get through that. The solution was presented soon after as Bonnie recommended that Judy took a hormonal suppressor regularly, two pills at the beginning of her cycle which would subdue her urges temporarily and let her go through the day normally, the medicine became a regular part of Judy's life from that day on as she began to make a mental schedule of every time her body would start to act out and her urges would begin to surface uncontrollably inside her mind.

As the years moved on, Judy became an image of absolute self-control to her family, most bunnies would lead very active sexual lives but Judy was constantly focused in her chores, her studies, her goals which, according to her, did not leave any surplus time to pursue love interests on a regular basis. Judy centered on her mentality of planning out a path and work hard in order to achieve her objectives, her urges were greatly suppressed, thanks in grand part to the medicine recommended by her mother only now she had no medicine reserve with her, she had forgotten to pass by the pharmacy and stock up on it since she began working with Nick, it was one of those things she put on the back burner since it did not seem that important at the time only now there was no more postponing it:

- Oh, sour grapes! What am I going to do? What can I do?

Judy got trapped in her head, never once she was late for the work shift ever since she returned to work at precinct one and she had no intention of starting on that day due to an excuse that could be considered minor, then again, she also imagined a different story for her body. Suddenly Judy was taken back to the way she felt when her body experienced estrus, 'heat', for the first time, every second felt like a punch to her system, every minute that passed by she was distracted by the interminable waves of discomfort that invaded her body and how it could change her behavior, she felt trapped in a no win scenario but she still had a job to do and her sense of obligation spoke louder than her sense of preservation.

Judy prepared herself for the day ahead like she did every morning, she took a long cold shower and washed her fur out in a slow and methodical way, she had made up her mind about going to work and not putting out any excuse to miss her shift alongside Nick, she prayed for there not to be any patrol assignments for her that day as she took her time scrubbing her fur and drying herself out right after she felt clean and focused enough to step out of the shower box, for a moment it felt like she was procrastinating a bit, giving herself some time to see if she might change her own mind. Judy was clean, fed and awake, she only needed to put her uniform on.

Judy stepped back into her room and grabbed her uniform, she took her time organizing the belt and all of the components as well as the new armored vest which, somehow, felt more cumbersome over her chest than the day before, it only then daunted on her as the fur on the back of her head stood on end that her senses were starting to go into overdrive, part of the cycle. Judy released a sigh and stepped around aimlessly inside of her apartment, walking to the living room, to the bathroom, to the kitchen as she argued why she should just stop what she was doing, dreading what might happen if she lost focus and control, second guessing herself thinking about staying put until she felt good enough to go to the drugstore and buy more of the medicine, she was too stubborn for her own good.

After going back and forth over and over again for what felt like a really long time, Judy looked at the time and saw that it was already pass the time she usually came into the station to report for morning duty, she took a series of long breaths before finally stepping out of her apartment with all of her belongings well in order, she locked the door behind her and began to walk to the ZPD, she was confident that she would be able to hold back the sensation of discomfort under control inside of her until the end of the work shift. Meanwhile, blocks away and arriving remarkably earlier, Nick was already crossing the front doors of the ZPD, walking through the main lobby and towards the front desk to talk with Clawhauser with one cup of coffee being held in each paw, one for him and the other one for Judy, with a smile on his face and his uniform neat and tidy:

- Good morning, Benjamin.

The cheetah saw the approaching fox, the bet made the night before still replaying vividly inside his mind as well as the secret location of the big bucks that were all stored inside a locked box very close by. Benjamin did not like to say anything to anyone but he had one knick-knack amidst his growing collection that held on to a very special place, a small wooden chest with a strong lock of which only he had the key for, the chest belonged to a very close friend that moved away from Zootopia, he gifted Benjamin with the box during his last few days in town before moving away in pursue of a long time dream and told the feline to keep it close by at all times in case he needed to store away anything that could be considered important. With a coy smile and a wave of his left paw as he said:

- Oh, good morning to you, Wilde.

Nick came a little closer, not even noticing the tone that Benjamin had used to greet him, the cheetah was not at all good at hiding juicy secrets, his excited smile could have given away that he was concealing something of importance but the fox was thinking about something else as he leaned against the side of the counter and waited patiently for Judy to arrive. The clock in the lobby had already gone past the time Judy usually arrived at the ZPD, Nick must have checked it about five times since he arrived and Judy was still nowhere to be found, at the sixth time checking the clock in the lobby, he turned his head around and asked:

- Benjamin, has Judy come to work yet?

The ears of the cheetah darted up as he looked around, he was previously distracted, pretending to search for important files on his computer when he heard Nick addressing him and looking for Judy. Benjamin looked over to the clock in the lobby and was actually surprised to see that Judy hadn't arrived yet, the bunny had never come late for work, ever. Benjamin looked at Nick and said:

- No, not yet. That's a little strange.

Nick quickly put both of the coffee cups he was carrying along with him over the counter near him and reached for his back pocket and pulled out his cellphone, checking to see if there were any visible notifications on the screen that would alert him to Judy's whereabouts. Not finding any new bit of information on his cellphone, Nick opened the messaging application and thought about sending a quick alert to Judy, asking her why was she late ad if anything serious had happened to her, that is, until he heard Clawhauser's voice speaking up:

- Oh, here she comes now.

Nick turned the screen of his cellphone off and stored it away once more, he looked over and saw Judy dashing through the front doors and coming in their direction. Judy was winded, almost out of breath, she was stressed since she had to content with coming to the ZPD with a rushed step while also constantly thinking about the absence of her medicine and how she could absolutely not forget to buy it after the work shift. Nick was glad to see Judy coming through the front doors, he grabbed the two cups of coffee he had left over the counter while making an effort to not let his eyes deviate from her presence and gave a single step ahead to meet up with Judy and asked her if something serious had happened before she came to work. Nick greeted Judy and asked of her:

- Carrots, good morning. Did something happen to you? You're quite late.

Judy took a second to regain her breath, she looked up and directed a sight over to Nick that he found somewhat hard to read. It was evident to see that Judy was either tired or just had something bugging her since the moment she woke up but he was not certain what could it be, good or bad, something had happened to her. Judy did not wish to tell Nick the truth behind her tardiness, the bunny simply shot what could have been considered the most acceptable excuse at that time as she took a short breath and said:

- Nick, hey. I… overslept.

Judy was clearly lying, she hated to lie, Nick was unsure of the tone she used to answer him and he could tell that Judy was hiding something, even so, he was sure that it was nothing that would disrupt their shift any further and that she would disclose any details of it to him if it was truly serious. Not wanting to pry into what might have been troubling her any further, Nick merely gestured in her direction with a nod of his head and made it sound like he bought her little white lie with his tone of voice as he said:

- Well, I'm glad you came by. Benjamin there was actually kind of worried.

Nick turned slightly to the left and stepped aside so that Judy could shoot a look at Benjamin as he admitted:

- You're never late for work.

Judy moved her eyes to the left and they returned to looking forward in just one second as she dribbled against that conversation beat by saying:

- There's a first time for everything, I guess.

Nick looked over at her and offered her one of the cups he had in his paws only he did not clarify which one was hers, they were almost the exact same size. Nick took in a short dash of air through his nose and said:

- Hey, I brought you that drink you like. Figured we could both use a little starter up for today…

Before Nick could finish his thought, he felt as Judy reached to snag the cup he had in his left paw, the bunny thanked him for his consideration with a hastiness to her voice as she wasted no time taking the cup to her lips:

- Thanks, Nick. I'm quite thirsty.

Judy placed her lips and began to take a sip of the drink as Nick spoke up trying to stop her:

- Carrots, no, wait! That one… !

Judy felt her lips locking up and her tongue twisting inside her mouth as she tasted the beverage, she trapped the liquid in her mouth as her cheeks looked filled to burst with it as she tried her best to not spit it all out and dirty the floor or hit Nick with it, that did not improve the taste situation. Nick pointed to the cup in her paws with his left claw as he held his laugh back and completed his previous thought:

- That one… was mine. This is yours.

Nick finished his sentence as he showed the remaining cup left in the grip of his right paw. Judy was really embarrassed and the sour taste of the coffee was still bothering her, seeing no way out of that, she swallowed the sip she had trapped in her mouth, showed up a face that bordered on disgust as spoke up with a whisper:

- So biter!

Nick and Judy exchanged cups, the fox gave the beverage that was supposed to be handed out to Judy from the beginning and she thanked him as soon as she took a sip from the warm and sweet pumpkin flavored drink which made the previously unpleasant taste to wash away from her throat. The two officers walked close together as they moved towards their cubicles, wishing to meet chief Bogo on their way so that they could properly report for their daily assignments, Judy turned to Nick on the way and asked while softly gripping the plastic shell of her cup with both her paws:

- How can you stand to drink that every day?

Nick held on to his coffee cup with his left paw while he made a pinching motion with the thumb and pointing finger of his right paw and gestured towards Jdy while saying:

- I like to have a lot of sugar on my coffee but I don't want it to be too sweet, fluff. I like to get some pucker on my waking beverage.

Nick and Judy entered the huge room where all the cubicles were located and, to both their surprises, agent Jack Savage was standing a few steps away from the door and waiting to greet the bunny officer with a soft smile on his face and while carrying a nice looking transport case held tightly and safely in his left paw. The male rabbit had his ears standing straight up and his blue eyes sparking with delight as he saw just the officer he wanted to talk to come through the door, he showed a simple waving motion of his right paw and spoke up:

- Officer Hopps. I was hoping to meet you here today.

Judy turned her head in the direction of the voice that called out to her and saw as Jack gave a couple of steps in her direction so that they could converse closely to one another, the buck's glistening blue eyes called immediately to her attention as she smiled and nodded her head before saying:

- Oh, good morning, agent Savage.

The buck did not undo his smile as he spoke in answer to that:

- Please, you can feel free to call me 'Jack'.

Judy could feel a strange sensation coursing through her as she heard Jack's voice telling her that, she pressed her eyes and showed a bit of a frown as she answered:

- I prefer to continue calling you 'agent Savage', if you don't mind.

Nick could not disguise the smile that showed in his face as he heard that, the buck felt a little disheartened but he got the signal that Judy wished to talk to him in a more professional manner for the time being, the expression on her face also communicated to him that she was not the kind of bunny to take on unnecessary pleasantries early during work hours. Unbeknownst to anyone else but Judy, the reason why she took that tone and was choosing to display that face was because she was keeping a tight lid on her body and that included her emotions, her estrus cycle had a sudden flare as Judy felt Jack's approach and she prayed that the male bunny would not be able to notice what was actually happening to her. Agent Savage made a throat clearing sound before he addressed Judy as he spoke:

- Ahm… sure. Of course I don't mind. Anyway, I was hoping to meet up with you so that I could give this back.

Jack turned the case he was carrying along with him so that it would be calmly settled over the ground in front of him, comparatively the storing item was almost half his size in height, he leaned forward slightly and opened the case so that he would deliver the item he mentioned. The male bunny undid the double latches pressing the case shut and separated the wings of the case to reveal Judy's tranquilizer weapon, completely repaired. Judy sounded a little gasp, she continued holding on to her cup with her left paw as her right paw reached forward to take the weapon by the handle, the weight and the feel of the tranq shooter felt much of the same from before it had been disassembled and Judy showed a satisfied smile from having her weapon back in her paws. Judy looked over to Jack as the buck went over the overall features of the newly assembled shooter:

- It was some tricky stuff but I managed to flush out the air chamber, remold the springs and change the trigger. I also added a new sight on top of the barrel so it would make it far easier to aim.

It was hard for Judy to appreciate the changes to her sidearm as Jack seemed to speak out about them so quickly, listing them with quick words and gestures of his right paw that went unseen for the most part. Judy was still very thankful and she showed it by looking over at Jack and speaking up with a soft smile a blink of her eyes:

- Thanks a lot, agent Savage. I know it sounds silly but I am very attached to this weapon. It is the one that feels best for me to use.

Jack could feel his knees buckling for less than a short second as he perceived Judy's sweet voice and look of gratitude directed at him, the buck was already smitten with the sight of her but somehow she just looked even more enchanting to him that day. Judy pressed a little switch on the side of the weapon's handle to make sure that the safety was properly engaged before storing it away in the holster of her belt, she had to be careful to do so without dropping the item or the cup she had in her grasp. Judy halted her movements for a moment as she took a quick silent check on her condition, she moved her ears around and was just about to direct a look over at the direction that she and Nick were heading, right over to their cubicle so that they could prepare themselves for the chewing off that chief Bogo would most likely give to the both for arriving so late, however, her attention was called over to agent Savage once more as he asked her:

- Listen, officer Hopps, if you don't mind me asking, how did your shooter become so damaged all of a sudden.

Judy pointed her right paw over her left shoulder as she answered, calling attention towards her partner positioned right next to her as she did so:

- Actually, Nick was the one that broke it.

Jack directed his eyes up to look at the fox's face, Nick was displaying a side smile as Jack spoke up, almost as if he was attempting to spit ice shards in the direction of the vulpine:

- Is that a fact? Maybe officer Wilde is not quite ready to handle a sidearm just yet.

Nick did not say anything in response to that, he stood in silence knowing about the whole story and already aware that Judy would be the one to clarify as she showed the palm of her right paw pointed towards Jack and said:

- Oh, no. Nick didn't break my shooter due to ineptitude or anything like that. It jammed in the middle of a fight and the only way he found to come out on top was to crack it open to grab the last dart trapped in the chamber.

Jack had his view of the fox completely renewed, he turned his eyes over to Judy as she calmly explained in as few words as she could what took the fox to improvise such an extreme action in the middle of one of their most epic confrontations. Jack turned his eyes back to Nick just as fast as he admitted:

- Oh… I… I did not remember reading that on the report.

Jack fumbled with the fingers of both his paws as he thought about what to say next, the bunny agent had one last thing to say, he reached deeper inside the case and pulled out another shooter, one that was meant to be held by Nick. The sidearm was dark in color and astonishing in design, the handle was too big to be held comfortably in Jack's paws but it was just the perfect size for Nick. There was a short moment of silence as the reveal of the weapon surprised the two officers but the silence was disrupted as Jack held on to the barrel of the weapon with both of his paws and said:

- This one is for you.

As he extended both of his arms to Nick and gave him the weapon without too much fuss and without going over any major features. Nick extended his right arm forward and took a hold of the shooter, placing his fingers over the handle and making sure that his pointing finger would remain extended and not be placed over the trigger as to avoid any accidents. Nick squeezed the handle with his lower fingers and his thumb as he broke in the feel of the weapon, his eyes were open wide as they slid over the length of the barrel time and time again and his muzzle was half open without releasing any sounds for about seven seconds before he finally spoke up in a comprehensive whisper:

- It's beautiful.

Jack closed the double latch of his case before lifting it up from the ground and saying:

- Yes it is. The manual was left on your cubicle desk along with the charging station and a box containing the reserve battery cartridges. Do not lose a single one of them.

Jack was dead serious as he spoke to Nick like that and the fox looked over at the buck before slowly nodding, making a gesture with his head that was very close to a bow, and speaking up:

- Thanks a lot. I'll treat it with respect.

That was a sincere assurance and Jack answered to it with a stoic expression followed by a single positive nod of his head. The bunny agent gripped the handle of the case with his left paw before extending his right paw forward, Nick got that right away as he placed the shooter in the holster of his belt before extending his own right paw forward and shaking Jack's paw, a sign of understanding between the two mammals. Jack soon moved along on his way, exiting the cubicle area and wishing for both of the officers a good and productive day. Nick and Judy moved over to their shared cubicle, they finished drinking their respective beverages before disposing of the plastic cups, there was an extensive amount of time spent as they sat down and studied their new and improved weapons without exchanging words as each focused on their own work. Nick studied the details of his new taser, checking the condition of the lens at the front as well as the charging station that he would put into use later; Judy placed her shooter over the desk and carefully loaded the tranquilizer darts one after the other into the clips before she took the time to organize them inside a casing for later deployment.

The work shift was going very smoothly; Judy was still too self-conscious about the fact that she was in heat but there were only the occasional warm flare keeping her distracted as she continued to type away at her computer. As the hours passed, Judy rarely turned away from the screen, she only got up from her chair to grab a drink of water, which was becoming more and more frequent as time passed, or to go to the bathroom either to use the toilet or merely wash her face as she felt like that would keep her focused until the end of the work shift.

It was almost lunch time when Nick finally decided to pry and inquire what was actually going on with his partner. Judy was coming back to thecubicle with another glass of water in her paw, sipping the liquid bit by bit, she sat on her chair and return to type methodically over the keyboard. Nick turned his revolving chair in Judy's direction and leaned forward over his seat to reach for Judy and tap her right shoulder once without any weighting force to call her attention. Judy felt the soft touch of Nick's paw over her shoulder, her ears twitched and her back straightened out of pure reflex before she turned over to face Nick and saw him looking over her with a worried gleam in his eyes before he asked:

- Carrots, are you feeling alright?

Judy rotate her chair slowly as to completely face him and asked in turn:

- What… do you mean, Nick?

Nick made a slow gesture with his right paw over to the computer and explained the reason behind his question:

- I have been hearing you type so sluggishly since we began and you won't stop coming and going about. You arrived late today and you have been acting kind of… weird since this morning. What's up? Is something wrong?

Judy tucked her shoulders in and looked away, she felt almost like she was shrinking away from Nick's view out of embarrassment, that feeling lingered for a bit until she decided to tell him something in response, it was not the whole truth, it was not even close to it, but she wanted to diminish his worries and assure him that it was not a reason for concern: Judy cleared her throat and said:

- Nick, the reason why I was late for work today, the reason why I'm acting like this is because… I don't quite feel like myself today.

Nick squinted his eyes and changed the angle of his look, Judy knew that he was silently asking her for a few more details. Judy took in some air through her nose and continued speaking:

- I'm feeling a little… warm today.

Nick retreated for a bit and that gesture made Judy worry that she may have said too much but the reason for the fox to lean away from her like that was completely different as he asked hastily and with a pinch of worry in his voice:

- Wait… 'warm'? Warm as in… 'feverish'? Feverish as in… 'sick'?

Judy heard Nick's interpretation of her words and saw in that a quick way out of that predicament, she placed her right paw under her chin, looked away as her eyes turned more to the right until they landed at the entrance to the cubicle and gave it a little scratch before saying:

- Well… I was feeling a little uneasy and… nauseous when I woke up. I thought about staying at home for the day but I just didn't want to…

It was at that moment that Judy noticed that Nick had scooched his chair away from her, he was almost touching the cubicle wall opposite to her and located right behind him, his feet were touching the ground and his body was leaned slightly in the direction of the exit as if he was preparing for a speedy escape while displaying a stressed look on his face. Judy found that very strange, she had never seen Nick behave like that and she only had a fraction of the information about him at that moment, she imagined for a short moment if that was how Nick must have felt like about her. Judy pointed a finger at Nick and asked:

- Why… are you sitting so far away from me?

Nick showed the palms of his paws and explained:

- Look, carrots, it's nothing against you and… don't take this the wrong way, but… I really don't like getting sick.

Judy was not sure on how to answer to that, the fingers of her left paw fiddled for a second before a thought of something Nick had told her a long time ago sprung an inquiry out of her:

- Does this have something to do with the fact that you don't like hospitals?

- That is unrelated!

Nick pointed a finger of his right paw at her as he said that but he did not sound evasive or offended by Judy's question, he retracted his arm back and directed a look at the ceiling before saying:

- I just don't like getting sick. It feels really bad for me so I do my best to avoid it.

Judy had an uneasy smile on her face as she decided to leave the half explained reasoning behind her behavior that day at just that: 'She was feeling sick'. The bunny placed her paws over her knees as she brought them closely together over her seat before directing her eyes to the ground beneath her and saying:

- You don't have to be worried about that… or me. I'm going to the pharmacy to get some medicine as soon as the shift is over.

Judy kept her eyes focused on the floor and she did not notice how Nick directed an analytic look at her, she did notice how the fox moved his feet to the side and slowly raised from his chair prompting her to direct her sight back at him. Nick was satnding up and casting a blank expression over her, Judy was not sure what was about to be said next as she saw the fox approach her with slow and short steps, he left his chair behind and stepped over her side of the cubicle without saying a word. Judy tok a series of short and quick breaths through her nose as she continued to watch Nick encroaching movement towards her, her heart suddenly began to beat faster, her ears lowered to the back of her head and she noticed that Nick was now slowly raising his paw over her head, she took in a long breath through her mouth to ask him what was he doing but the words became trapped on the back of her throat for some reason. What Judy felt at that moment was not fear, it wasn't dread or panic but it felt like many alarms were going off in her head at the same time, it all felt strange to her.

Judy released a sound from her mouth as Nick was now standing only a single step's reach form her but there were no mere words to form a question as she felt the fox place the palm of his right paw over her head and, only a couple of seconds later, place his nose and lips over her forehead, Nick had wrestled shortly with his undesired of being sick to check on Judy's temperature for himself out of concern. Judy felt a pleasant shock run through her entire body, she had felt something like that before on a pawful of occasions, Nick's presence being a common aspect among them, her senses fired up in all cylinders, her fur stood up, her breath felt short and her tail began to shake with a clear sign of delight for that moment. Judy prayed that Nick would not be able to notice any of that, her body was reacting in such an unpredictable manner on that day and Nick was definitely not helping in that regard.

After Nick was done checking Judy's temperature and being completely oblivious about how she was feeling at that exact moment, the fox moved away from her as he gently moved his lips, his nose and his warm breath away from her, he gave a single step back before presenting Judy with a succinct report of her condition:

- Well, you do feel warm but I don't think you're feverish. I guess you're fine for now.

Judy pressed her lips together before showing a quick series of positive nods with her head to him, Nick simply rushed that off as her still feeling a little weird and moved along to get started on his lunch break. Judy was left alone in the cubicle and her thoughts were going ballistic after her mind finally registered what had happened, she looked around to make sure that there was no one around before she placed her left paw over her chest to get a feel for her heart and breathing, even so, she could not get a good enough handle on that feeling. Judy felt winded even if she hadn't moved around that much, she felt like the walls of the cubicle were closing in on her but she took a long calming breath of air through her nose and expelled it out through her mouth to calm herself.

Throughout the entire work day, it felt like Judy was about to explode in a panic at any moment but she kept herself under control through it all, she avoided interaction with others for as much as she could so that no one would be able to tell that she was acting differently much like Nick had done. By the end of the work shift, Judy changed out of her uniform after taking a long shower by the locker room, said farewell to Nick and the other officers for the day and rushed over to the nearest drugstore to buy the one thing she told herself not to forget, she returned to her apartment and gladly took the recommended dose of the medicine so that her nerves would be at least a little easier to manage until she could go to bed and sleep for the night.

Hours passed inside Judy's apartment, she could feel the medicine slowly taking effect as the time went on but it was very slow, it became hard to tell if the calm she was feeling was due to the medicine in her system or the fact that she was now alone and safe in her own place. Judy could still feel the soft shudders of her heat cycle holding on to her as the sun set over the horizon and night came about, she had a homemade salad to eat at dinner and sent a texting message over to her parents assuring that she was doing okay, she had a full day at work and that she was going to turn in and sleep a little earlier. Judy went to bed, covering herself with a thin blanket and placing her head over her pillows before releasing a long sigh though her mouth and closing her eyes to try sleeping, trying to put that whole day behind her.

Judy was not dressed in her regular pajamas, she still felt a little warm and thought clothes would not do anything to help out, she was dressed with the lightest set of underwear she could find, a lose white top which stopped short before covering her belly and a matching pair of panties, she figured those would be ideal to help her sleep more soundly. Judy had her eyes closed but sleeping did not came as swiftly as she wished, her ears twitched even though she did not hear any harsh sounds that caused them to do that and her eyes opened up to the sight of a nearly pitch black bedroom, Judy turned her head and looked to the left to find her cellphone placed on its little charging stand over the head dresser, she reached for it and turned the screen on to check what was the time. Judy had the left side of her head smooshing against the pillow surface, she squinted her eyes as the light of the screen hit her pupils and she saw the marked time on the clock, nine twenty-two, not that late in the night, she wanted to sleep but she just did not feel like it.

Judy grabbed the pillow that was laid next to her, while her right paw held the cellphone in her immediate reach her left paw grabbed the pillow so that she could hug it, placing her left arm around it as her body cuddled it so that she could mildly increase the sensation of comfort over her and convince herself that it would help her sleep more soundly, it did not work. Judy was comfortable over her own bed but her mind was still racing, the pleasant shock of Nick's touch from earlier that day was being felt through her body even then, the memory of his gentle touch caused the same feeling she had on that morning to resurface, she closed her eyes, pressing her eyelids shut as she thought:

"Why did it felt like that? Why did Nick's touch felt like that?"

Judy was very tense, she could not stop questioning why that moment earlier that day, why Nick's touch over her head, felt so intense, so good. She turned the screen of her cellphone off and put it away next to her bed, she turned herself over her mattress without letting go of the pillow she was hugging, she was now embracing the cushioned item avidly with both of her arms as she cursed silently:

"Stupid heat cycle. Everything was going just fine until it got dropped into the mix. I've already taken the medicine, there is no reason why I should be feeling like this."

Judy lowered her face over the surface of the pillow, she tightened her hugging grip around the pillow, there was a moment when she tried holding her breath but it did not last long as she released the air she was holding in through her nose and on to the soft fabric before she reached her limit. Judy could feel her body getting warm again, she raised her head away from the pillow as she thought:

"Why is this happening? Is something holding the medicine back from taking full effect? I never had it this bad until today. Why?"

Judy sat up over her mattress, she kept hanging on to the pillow and she noticed something as she got her back up straight. Near the pillow she was laying her head over and placed very well hidden away from view, she spotted her little plush toy, a little rabbit dressed in a police officer's uniform, she turned her upper body slightly to the right and reached over with her right arm to grab the little toy, looking at it and trying to draw some conclusion about why she was feeling the way she was feeling.

"Does this have something to do with Nick? Is he the reason why I feel like this?"

Judy thought so as she held the plushie gently in her right paw, expecting an answer to come to her as she looked over the toy. Judy set the plushie down next to her on the bed and placed her right arm around the pillow one more time as she answered to herself:

"There is no way Nick is the cause of this. Nick is my partner, my friend, I can't… feel this way for him. Right?"

That verb present on her last thought lingered for a bit, 'can't'. Judy let it echo for a moment inside her mind as she wondered why she thought about it that way, 'can't'. Judy's mind thought back on what her friend Francine asked her a while back, the voice of the elephant officer sounded off in her thoughts:

"You really enjoy having him as a partner, don't you?"

Judy moved her eyes around her room, the lights were still off and her eyes did not get use to the lack of illumination in that environment. Soon enough, another voice made itself present in Judy's mind, the voice of her sister Samantha, asking something from a long while back referring to Nick:

"You do know you got him eating at the palm of your paw, right?"

Judy shook her head, she told herself how she did not think about Nick that way at all, she told herself:

"I can't think about Nick like that! I just can't!"

Judy placed the palm of her right paw over her mouth, she almost screamed or at very least she thought like she was about to scream. Judy suddenly felt her mind relax and wander off, away from her bedroom, but she did not stress over what others said or about why her body was reacting that way to things said long before that day. Her mind focused on the one subject that brought her to that initial line of thought, her friend, Nick. As Judy got a better handle on her thoughts and began to calm down, she began thinking more about the fox and about the moments they shared as well as the things they learned:

"Nick."

Judy thought as she began to calm down, her shoulders relaxed, she untucked her legs to lay down over her bed once more and her breathing became easier to manage, slow and smooth. Judy closed her eyes and she could see clearly all of the sweet moments she shared with Nick, the times when his bravery and cunning shined through and all of the nice things he communicated to her through his own way of speaking, Judy tossed and turned under the sheets for a full minute and a half as she tried and failed to turn her thoughts to something else. It seemed like every little thing that she placed in her mind branched out to Nick, she couldn't avoid it. Judy released a little sigh as she though:

"Nick is such a great mammal. I care about him."

Judy squeezed the pillow in her grasp once more, her eyes opened and closed signifying the end of one thought track and the start of another as she remembered the night Nick and her shared as they drank, ate and confined on each other about many aspects of their past. Judy learned so much about Nick and sleeping over his chest, even though a little awkward, felt like an amazing experience. Judy tried to relive the long sleeping embrace that she shared with Nick on the couch:

"It felt so warm, so soft, I didn't want to wake up. Nick."

The pillow she was hugging could not compare to the fox's body, Judy felt more than comfort while being so close to Nick, she felt safe. There was no reason to worry about the fact that Nick was a fox, a predator, Judy felt safe when she was around him, she knew that they could watch out for one another and that they could handle anything that came their way. Judy tucked her right arm in and slowly eased her hugging grip over the pillow, her right paw moved closer to her and began sliding over her chest soon after, she could feel her fur standing up as the fingers of her paw traveled over her figure but suddenly she had the sensation that that paw belonged to someone else:

"Nick."

Judy opened her eyes and she was mortified with what was happening to her, she could not believe the thoughts that were invading her mind. Judy tossed the pillow she had in her grasp away from her and hid herself under her sheets out of embarrassment, suddenly her breath was rushed like before, the heat had returned stronger than ever and she could not hold out for even a moment without fighting against her own thoughts. She was in a silent panic underneath the covers thinking that she was going crazy, that at that moment her thoughts were not her own:

"This isn't right. It's not like that."

Her mind skipped over to logic as one thought echoed about, she spoke out with low volume but it made it sound like it was reverberating through her bedroom, spoken by a crowd of mammals all around her:

- Nick is a fox, I'm a bunny. He's a predator, I'm prey.

That trail of thought was logical, that was the set of words that Judy decided to follow in that moment, it was logical, but… for a moment…

"This sounds so… wrong."

Judy thought so to herself, she popped her head out from under the sheets and searched for her cellphone, she grabbed it and turned the screen on one more time only the light did not feel as oppressive for her eyes as it did before. Judy laid her eyes over the picture of her and Nick on the day he left for the academy saved in her phone right next to the pick they took on the day of his graduation, she slid her finger over the screen and found other pictures where Nick and her were present, sometimes at work, sometimes out through the city, Nick had been such an integral part of her work in the ZPD through the short time he had been employed. Judy spent the work hours of every day alongside Nick, they had encounters and discoveries together, they had a special connection that went far beyond the appreciation they developed for one another after their first incredible adventure and Judy's logic thought only managed to place that mammal, that special being that placed himself so close to her, in a place so far apart from her.

"Would it be wrong?"

Judy thought to herself, second guessing her thought from before, she imagined how it would be like if Nick and her were together in such a way, as more than friends or co-workers. Judy turned the screen of the cellphone off and set it aside on the same spot as before, she reached with her left arm for the pillow she had tossed aside previously and embraced it avidly as her mind relaxed and she turned to think about what had shocked her before with a little more consideration this time.

Judy cuddled with the pillow and closed her eyes again, she slowly took her right paw close to her chest trying to recreate the conditions that lead to the thoughts that could have been a realization to her, she pressed the palm of her paw against her chest, over the fabric of her top, and felt her heart beating steadily and strong. Judy felt a sudden shock travel over her skin, a pleasant kind of shock, the same feeling that Nick had over her when he touched her, a hug, a bump, even a soft tap caused that little shock that felt gratifying to her, she wanted to feel more of that, even if there was a little piece of her telling to stop before that moment spiraled out of her control.

Judy's paw slid away from her chest, the pleasant shock moved along with it, soft waves of delight flushed through the surface of her body as her tail shook from side to side, her ears raised up over her head and her mouth sounded off a soft puff of air as her breathing became more intense. Judy's paw moved lower until it reached a spot right above her thighs, she made a small circular motion to start and she enjoyed it, the shockwaves rushing over her became more powerful and so did the squeezing pressure her other arm exert over the pillow. Judy's thought gained form, with her eyes closed the form of the fox appeared to be perfectly placed right in front of her and in such a clear light, he appeared as Judy visualized him, his bright smile, his beautiful green eyes, his smooth green shirt, his elegant tie as well as his tail slowly swooshing from side to side. Judy wished for him to come closer, to touch her as he did earlier that day, a thought of worry popped up in her mind:

"I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm thinking of Nick in such a way. My heat has never been this strong before. What's wrong with me?!"

Judy's mind brushed the question off just as fast as it had appeared, the pleasure she was feeling spoke so much louder than her reasoning and it just felt right to her to keep that motion going. Her fingers pressed gently near the center of her belly, Judy smiled as she released another puff of air from her mouth as she felt a little ticklish, suddenly, her vision of Nick became clearer, her mind asked for it and so the image of the fox came closer and closer to her point of view. Judy felt her heart jump for an instant as she envisioned the fox lowering his ears, press his gaze over her and display a mischievous smile on his lips, he came closer, leering over her figure and opening his arms to embrace her. Judy couldn't help but feel like there was something wrong with that picture.

Nick was now about to lay his entire body over her, his paws were supporting his upper body and very close to touching her skin, his fingers showed their very sharp claws and his mouth opened wide to reveal his intimidating set of pointy teeth as well as his tongue which curved upwards as he took a breath to speak to her. Judy's imagination gave the fox a voice, a strange voice that carried a tone of menace with it as the fox's muzzle approached her and sounded off a loud growl before saying:

"Just look at you. You are a very naughty bunny, carrots. You entered my den and now I get to have you all to myself. You best be ready, because I'm not letting you go."

Judy opened her eyes, the intimidating image of Nick turned to vapor and quickly dispersed in the air around her, she was able to spot a keen flaw in her thoughts before going any further with that. Judy stopped the motion with her paws and searched in his mind for what she thought would be the right answer, her conclusion was a clear one:

"That is not right. Nick is not some sort of pushy brute. He doesn't talk like that."

Judy slowly tucked her right leg in making her knee rise up a few inches over the mattress, her right paw waved up and down over her figure, she could feel that soft pressure and the pleasure return gradually to her way of moving, her mind became far more calm as she thought about Nick one more time with a vital correction in relation to her previous visualization of him:

"Nick is nice and sweet. He cares. He's strong and he knows how to use his strength."

Judy closed her eyes once more, the new image of Nick beginning to form again in her mind, similar in appearance than the one before but far more accurate in relation to the real one. This new image of Nick did not say anything as it approached Judy, he walked closer and breathe slowly as he directed a calm stare at Judy's eyes and that reminded her of all the amazing moments that they shared and that showed how their relationship went far beyond working at the ZPD: How they patrolled around Zootopia and he introduced her to new facets of the city itself, how they ate alongside one another and talked about the most mundane of subjects without a care in the world, the one time he came over to check on her and they cooked breakfast together, the last moment rang specially loud n her mind.

Nick was suddenly spotted in every corner of her mind, the one subject that she could not escape from in any way, the fox was close, close enough to touch, he placed himself over her and his mouth approached her forehead, it was too much. Judy could feel her shoulders locking in place while her arms continued to move, her right paw moved slightly lower over her figure and she could feel the texture of the fabric from her panties, a little moan was released from her lips, her head flailed around over her repost pillow and her ears flailed about without control, her imagination could not be held at bay at that point, she had given it too much strength. Judy's right paw made a swift move, two of her fingers lifted away from her before coming back down just as fast and resting over her once again, she could feel the shock she was feeling previously grow in intensity even more, her fingers were now placed over the fabric of her panties and she could feel without any doubt the moist folds between her legs, she feared there was no coming back from that.

Judy opened her mouth but no sound came from it at first, she released another moan that was louder than the last one, her back arched forward as she took a breath and her eyes pressed shut as it felt like she could not bear to let the new image of Nick she had built fade away. Judy squeezed the pillow even more leaving a noticeable imprint of her strong arm over the cushioned item, the fingers of her left paw opened as the fingers of her right paw continued with the nice motion over her lower area, she tossed her body turning it over to the left as her mind kept visualizing Nick's figure becoming more daring in his approach. The fox was wearing no shirt now and exposing his chest to her, the cream pattern of his soft fur getting so close she could practically feel its scent right next to her, the soft waves of pleasure were now massive torrents coming from her very core, Judy had never experienced anything close to that level of pleasure, her mind was completely under the influence of that feeling, of the one image she could see clearly in the dark.

"Nick, why do you make me feel like this?! What would you say if you saw me like this? What would you do? I'm feeling this amazing pleasure while thinking of you and I do not feel sorry at all."

Judy's right wrist made so that her right paw would increase the pressure over her nethers, the fabric of her panties was becoming increasingly moist and she could not hold her moans back anymore. Judy's mind was in a tizzy as the image of Nick blinked in and out of existence as Judy moved from side to side, her legs twitched, stretched and bent while her movements went uninterrupted, her heat was no longer a detriment, it was the apex of that evening, she no longer precluded it, she embraced it. Judy's back arched up once more as she felt an unforeseen amount of pleasure building up inside of her, she was close to achieving climax, she repressed her urges with masturbation before but she had never felt a rush like that, it was incredible. Judy turned her head to the left and bit down on her pillow as her moans became louder and louder.

Nick's figure, the projection of her mind, it touched her, it caressed her skin and petted her fur, she did not wish for that to stop. That sensation, that sight, it was a dream of her own making and she would not wake up until her body was satisfied completely, there was no one around to bother her, no noise or prior engagement that would disrupt her thoughts or actions, the only thing that had any significant importance was focusing on Nick's image and letting her body melt under the influence of her own thoughts as they took her on a wild journey. Judy was lost in the middle of a sea of sensations, her thoughts were unleashed into a mess of sound and color but, in the middle of the apparent madness, Nick's visage was still well in her sight, still placed close to her, she recalled his touch earlier that day, the pressing of his lips over her forehead, that warm soft feeling which popped back in her mind and pushed her over the edge.

Judy felt a strange vibration run through her body, an intense shock that shot through her spine and blasted into her mind, the mess of colors she had envisioned around her had shattered, it was no longer a fluid free motion, it was all static and unmoving, a mosaic like diorama that solidified itself before shattering and melting away. Judy gasped and struggled, her legs stretched outwards and her toes performed a gripping motion in the air before letting go and relaxing absolutely, the pleasure she had been slowly building up over the course of her motions arrived in full force to trap her entire body in a series of small spasms that diminished over the interval of a few seconds, her teeth bit over the fabric of the pillow being held closely by her left arm her head moved up while her teeth were still pressing over the fabric and that motion nearly caused her to rip a big hole right through the pillow cover. Judy opened her eyes, once more, the image of Nick was gone, leaving her alone over her mattress, warm, moist, breathing heavily.

With her muscles still trembling due to the massive whiplash of so much pleasure, Judy slowly raised her upper body and sat up straight over her mattress, her ears slowly perked up over the top of her head, she blinked rapidly and tried to control her breathing, she looked around, turning her head left and right, disoriented like she just woken up from a lucid dream but still feeling well sorted conscious of her own whereabouts:

- Oh, my goodness. What did I just do?

Judy whispered to herself, completely unsure about what to do next, she rose from her bed, swinging her legs on to the edge of the mattress and hopping to the floor, her legs wobbled for a bit as she was still feeling the aftershock of what she had just experienced. Judy walked over to the light switched and flipped it on, she walked around her bedroom to regain her bearings, she exited her bedroom and walked to the bathroom to get a look in the mirror, she was an image of utter disorder. Judy's clothes were full of wrinkles, her fur was beyond messy and there was this strange look in her eyes that she could not pin down, despite the fact that she was looking at her own reflection. Without saying a word to herself and her thoughts coming around to a blank, Judy took off her clothes, hopped in the shower and gave herself a quick bath, she felt refreshed after drying her fur out, the heat that had taken hold of her was now weaker, more manageable, she was calm and felt far lighter. All she wanted to do was go to sleep.

Judy threw her dirty clothes in the bin to wash off another day, she returned to her room to find out that her bed was as much of a mess as she was before her bath, she had to change all of the covers and the sheet to clean ones before she could peacefully slumber, she did just that. Judy searched her wardrobe for bed dressings that would serve for the night, not even caring if their colors would ultimately match, she did her bed, turned the lights off, put herself under the new sheets and closed her eyes. It was still preposterous for her to believe what had just happened, and yet, it was done. Even if she had just changed her covers a strong musk lingered around her, such an experience would remain stored forever within her mind. With one last thought directed to how would she act after that evening, Judy closed her eyes and fell asleep.

When the sun came up on the next morning, Judy was dressed and prepared to get back to work without the interference of her heat cycle. With an improved pep to her step, Judy walked up the stairs leading up to the front door and stepped right on through to find Nick and Benjamin conversing by the front desk with the fox leaned slightly next to the counter as the cheetah talked with him with a little smile on his face, they stopped their conversation once they saw Judy coming through the front doors. Nick waved his left paw in the air and called out to his partner:

- Hey, carrots, you're here.

Judy felt her entire body freeze for a second, the fox walked in her direction and she began to panic a little bit inside, pressing her lips together and praying that she would be able to work through the day without any more drama. Judy could see Nick so nicely, in a perfect light, the image she had of him on the night before still taunted her mind and it almost felt like her line of thinking would be irreparably derailed until, that is, Nick came to her and spoke up, asking:

- Yo, carrots, are you doing alright?

-W… what?

Judy asked as if she had just snapped out of a trance. Nick gestured towards her with his right paw and reiterated his question:

- Yesterday, you said you were feeling sick. Did you go to buy the medicine you needed?

Judy looked at Nick, his eyes fixed over her as he waited for her answer. Judy swallowed some air as she blinked and looked at Nick, there was no reason to act differently around him, what had happened during the previous night was only a thought that rushed past her mind, a moment that passed for her and that should be kept as a private subject of her own. Judy took her time with the answer but she inevitably set Nick at ease by taking in a long breath of air through her nose and answering:

- I bought the medicine and had a great night sleep.

The bunny spoke her truth, not disclosing any extensive details to her partner, Nick smiled and continued on to ask:

- How are you feeling?

Judy just spoke right out:

- One hundred percent.

Nick showed an excited motion with his paws as he clutched them into fists and shook both of them in the air a single time before saying:

- Awesome. Hope you're feeling up for patrol today.

Judy and Nick took off on their way to the bull pen so that they could receive their patrol assignment for the day, they walked side by side and the bunny bumped the fox's right arm before assuring him that she was ready by saying:

- Always.

The duo went on their way, Judy gave Benjamin a little wave of good bye which was answered in kind before she walked away from his field of view and entered the far off hallway alongside Nick. Judy stored the thoughts and feelings she had undergone during the night before safely in the recesses of her mind, assuming that what had happened was nothing but a lapse in judgment from her part due to the intense estrus that acted over her body and mind, however, a significant piece of her mind still carried over a less logical trail of thoughts. Nick was matching Judy's step but his walk slowed down once he detected a new scent in the air, a scent that was coming from Judy. The fox niffed the air with a little more of an analytic intent before he asked:

- Judy, are you using a different brand of shampoo?

Judy halted her walk and turned to the fox:

- What?

She asked of him, unsure about what he was trying to convey. Nick continued sniffing the air and his nose approached Judy's personal space without invading the area immediately around her. Judy could hear a loud alarm going off in her head as she thought:

"Oh, Brussel sprouts! Can he smell it? Does he know?! Oh, please, God, don't let him know!"

Nick stopped his sniffing as soon as he believed that he positively identified the new smell, he pointed a finger of his left paw at her and spoke up without sounding too intrusive meaning his words as a full on compliment:

- Lilacs. It smells really nice.

Nick finished his sentence up with that and continued to walk forward as if nothing major had happened. Judy lowered her shoulders, she was far too tense, her body returned to its normal range of movement as she followed Nick and went on to another day of work at the ZPD.