(Wow it's been a year since I've updated this?? Don't worry, I haven't abandoned this story. It's just been hard for me to find motivation to continue. But I have been looking forward to write this chapter so I hope you'll enjoy it!)

Every day I see many faces, some I don't recognize and some I could never forget. I meet new mammals almost every day. I've been around this entire city a dozen times. I know everyone and everything there is to know about them. So many different mammals with different stories. College students trying to get their degree while still living with their parents. Single mothers taking on two jobs just to feed their children. Average men working minimum wage to afford an apartment. Heiresses spending money like it has no value at all. And of course, the young and naive out-of-towners longing to live out their childhood dreams. I am somehow all of those and none of them at the same time.

Everyone starts out hopeful at some point. Most of the time it's just a child who doesn't know any better, who at some point faces a disappointment bigger than they can handle. Or sometimes that comes later in their life, in their late teen years or early twenties. Either way, it's inevitable and you just have to find some way to deal with it. Life is not what it's cracked up to be. I had to learn that the hard way. But I've picked myself up and accepted the facts. I can't change the way things are any more than I can change the color of the sky. I never expect anything good to happen, so that way when things don't go as planned, I'm not disappointed.

I did expect today to be just like any other day. It was slow start, since when I met up with Finnick in the morning, he had a pounding headache and was crankier than usual. Apparently he was hungover from the night before, so I was left to do most of the work, which I didn't mind. But still, it would've been nice if my partner wasn't complaining about loud noises and bright lights every three minutes. Believe it or not, I don't like to get drunk like he does. Mostly because if I do, I might end up doing or saying something stupid. I don't really have a good reputation anyway, but letting my guard down is not something I can afford.

As the day passes by and afternoon rolls around, I start to walk around the streets while pushing the pink stroller that Finnick fell asleep in. To keep up the whole "father and son" act we have, we had bought a few baby items to make it believable. He mostly just uses the onesie and pacifier. But today he's exhausted and as demeaning as it might be for him, I put him in the stroller so he could rest. Maybe after a good nap, he'll be more useful.

Unfortunately it's hard to make him appear as a kid with all his snoring. I'm no expert but I know babies don't snore, especially not as loud as him. As we pass a hippo, I close the lid to the stroller so he doesn't suspect anything from the noise. I do get a weird look from the guy but he doesn't say anything and just continues walking the other way. Should've guessed no one would question me about it. Still, can never be too careful.

A small beeping noise comes from behind me, which sounds familiar to a car horn. At first I don't pay attention to it, as it was quieter than normal and didn't alert me. But then I hear a voice that follows it. "Hi! Hello!"

The voice is feminine and oddly familiar. It's not until I looked to my left to find the bunny from yesterday, driving in what has to be the saddest little car I've ever seen. I'm not even sure "car" is the right word to describe it. It looks more like a small golf cart, with flashing lights on top and some traffic cones on the back. I guess that's what she has to drive as a meter maid.

"It's me again." She says, knowing that I would recognize her. I mean, we only met a day ago. It would be hard to forget. She seems strangely happy to see me, though. Like I didn't just crush her hopes and dreams 24 hours ago.

I decide to mimic her enthusiastic greeting. "Hey! It's Officer Toot-Toot!"

She fakes a laugh, "Ha ha, no. Actually, it's Officer Hopps and I'm here to ask you some questions about a case!"

A case, huh? They actually assigned the rookie a case? And out of all the animals in this city, she needs my help? Yeah, good luck with that.

"What happened, meter maid? Did someone steal a traffic cone?" I ask sarcastically, picking up my pace to walk away from her. "It wasn't me."

Before I can get away, the bunny drives forward and blocks my path, blaring the siren on her car. Okay, I was fine with a little banter, but now she's beginning to get on my nerves. Not to mention my partner was hungover and no doubt was going to gripe about the noises she's making. Sorry little rabbit, but I'm busy.

"Hey Carrots, you're gonna wake the baby." I say, referring to Finnick in the stroller. "I gotta get to work."

She gets out of the car, holding a folder and a pen that's shaped like a carrot—which is a little on the nose, if you ask me. "This is important, sir." She says, "I think your ten dollars worth of pawpsicles can wait."

Oh she's got some nerve. She can't possibly think I make lower than a teacher's salary, right? She just continues to underestimate me. Not that it's any of her business, but she doesn't get to assume anything about my work, especially not when her job is putting tickets on car windshields.

"Ha! I make two hundred bucks a day, fluff!" I say proudly. No doubt I make more money than she does, so maybe this'll put her in her place. "Three hundred and sixty-five days a year since I was twelve! And time is money." I use my thumb to point another way, hoping she'll take the hint and leave. "Hop along."

"Please, just look at the picture." She says, holding up a picture of an otter, wearing a green sweater vest and eating a pawpsicle. Even if the picture isn't good quality, I can tell who it is; Emmitt Otterton, the florist.

"You sold Mr. Otterton that pawpsicle, right? Do you know him?" She ask, using her pen to point at the picture.

Of course I know him. The fact that she even has to ask just shows she doesn't know anything, especially about me. Then again, I prefer to keep it that way.

"I know everybody." I answer. I decide to try and once again get her to hit the road. This cop stuff isn't any of my concern and I don't need her roping me into it. I smirk as something comes to mind. "And I also know that somewhere, there's a toy store missing it's stuffed animal. So why don't you get back to your box?"

Yeah, that should get her to leave. Her face drops a little. She's hurt but not surprised that I said something like that. She probably remembers our little conversation from yesterday. Sure, I'm being harsh, but it's what she gets for getting in my way. What am I saying? She's no threat to me. She's just a dumb bunny, what's the worst she could do?

She sighs and closes the folder. "Fine. Then we'll have to do this the hard way."

Hard way, huh? This should be good. Although as entertaining as it would be to see what she might do, I'm a busy guy and I don't have all day. I've got pawpsicles to sell and if she doesn't get this over with, I'm going to lose customers.

I'm snapped from my thoughts as I hear a clinking sound from below. I look down, shocked to see a parking boot on the wheel of the stroller. How the hell did she do that so fast? And without me even seeing?

"Did you just..boot my stroller?" I ask, confused as to how she accomplished that in less than two seconds.

The bunny stands up tall, using a firm tone for her next words. "Nicholas Wilde, you are under arrest!"

Again? Seriously? I'm not worried. She tried this yesterday and it didn't work. Why would now be any different? I'm so not interested in her intentions that I don't even care to wonder how she knew my full name. (I mean, sure, "Nick" is usually short for Nicholas, but still).

I smirk, leaning my face into my paw as I lean on the stroller. "For what? Hurting your feewings?" I mock. I have no idea as to what's coming next...

"Felony tax evasion."

My smirk drops immediately. My eyes instinctively go wide as I take in what she just said.

"Yeahh, two hundred dollars a day, three hundred and sixty-five days since you were twelve," She writes some of it down in her folder. "That's two decades so times twenty which is.. one million four hundred sixty thousand— I think! I mean, I am just a 'dumb bunny', but we are good at multiplying!"

I would've laughed at that last comment if I wasn't in shock at what was happening. How did she know all of this? How did she figure out the math so quickly? How did she even know how old I am?

"Anyway, according to your tax forms, you reported, let me see here.." She looks down at the paper, then up at me, "Zero!"

Shit.

"Unfortunately, lying on a federal form is a punishable offense." She gives me a look, "Five years jail time."

No, I'm letting my guard down. I can't do that. She can't threaten me like this and she needs to know that her words don't scare me. I straighten my posture and cross my arms, "Well, it's my word against yours."

That's right. She can't prove anything. She can't arrest me without evidence. I've lied my way out of trouble before and I can lie again. I've avoided the cops for years. I'm not about to be bested by some meter maid.

Or so I thought, just as she pulls out that silly looking carrot pen and presses a button on it.

"Two hundred bucks a day, fluff! Three hundred and sixty-five days a year since I was twelve!"

Shit, she recorded my confession. Not only did she have all the math figured out, but she caught me admitting it out loud for anyone to hear if they used the pen.

"Actually, it's your word against yours!" She says, smiling. "And if you want this pen, you're going to help me find this poor missing otter, or the only place you'll be selling pawpsicles is the prison cafeteria."

Her tone got stern at the last part. Well, now I'm screwed. I'm screwed big time. She has the upper paw, she has all the evidence she needs to turn me in. After all these years, I'm finally caught..and by a bunny, no less!

She mimics my smirk from earlier, putting her paw to her hip. She then says in the most condescending way possible: "It's called a hustle, sweetheart."

Son of a bitch, I've been hustled...

I don't believe in karma or anything like that, but all of my years of lying and cheating my way through life have finally caught up to me. I'm being blackmailed by a rookie bunny cop working on her first case. I don't want to help her, I really don't. But what choice do I have?! She could put me in handcuffs at any second if I don't!

Out of all the punishments I could get for being a con artist, this has to be the worst.

We're brought out of our moment of silence when Finnick says, "She hustled youuu!"

He opens the stroller, laughing hysterically. If I had known he was awake during all of this, I might've asked him to steal that pen from her so we could get out of here. Even at this point, I'm still considering it. But I don't want to put myself in more trouble. I can't avoid this bunny. She knows who I am, she would be able to find me. Maybe not right away, but it wouldn't take long. Funny how I thought she was the one underestimating me. Turns out it was the other way around.

"She hustled you good!" Finnick exclaims, reaching up to grab me by my tie. "You're a cop now, Nick! You're gonna need one of these."

He holds up the sticker that the bunny gave him yesterday and slaps it onto my shirt, right on the pocket. I can't even be bothered to be amused by his excitement. He's laughing at my misery and isn't even doing anything to help. Some partner he is.

He jumps off the stroller and walks away, still laughing his ass off. "Have fun working with the fuzz!"

As he leaves, the bunny turns back to look at me. "Start talking."

I sigh, realizing I have no way out of this. As much as I don't want to spend my afternoon helping her with a case, I need to in order to avoid prison. If suffering through this meant she won't arrest me, then so be it. How bad it could be, anyway? I've been through worse situations. None come to mind..but still.

"I don't know where he is, I only saw where he went." I say with a shrug.

She smiles, gesturing for me to follow as she walks over to her car. "Great! Let's go."

It then occurs to me that the place Emmitt went to isn't exactly..normal. Well, at least not in the little town she comes from. I grin, leaning against the stroller again. "It's not exactly a place for a cute, little bunny."

I notice her tense up at my remark. She must not like that word. "Don't call me cute!" Sorry, can't help if it's true. She turns to me again, "Get in the car."

If that's how she wants to play it, then I guess we'll do this her way. Or at least that's what I'm gonna let her think. "Okay, you're the boss." I say as I walk over to her, wondering how I'm going to fit in this tiny car of hers, and internally laughing at how she was going to react when we got there.