-Trisha: Here comes trouble-


"You have one new message and three old messages."

"First new message."

*Beep*

"Hey sweetie it's Mom, just wanted to wish you luck during your interview today. Just remember to be yourself and I know they will love you. Ya know the offer still stands, your father and I would love to have you back here in Manta Bay…. *sigh* I know you don't want to talk about it but I also know you bun bun...you are not to blame for what happened, alright? Don't take this job unless it's what you really want alright? You don't have to throw away your original plans just because of...well. If you are happy on this new path then you know your dad and I will support you. Call me back when you get out ok? Love you Pumpkin."

"Press 1 to save or 7 to-"

*Beep*

"First saved message."

"Trisha… it's… it's Dr. Salt...I mean… it's Doc. Listen I heard from one of your professors how you plan to-"

*Beep*

"Message skipped, next message."

"Hi, this is Albert from the University of Central Forest Graduate office calling for Trisha Rose. I just wanted to advise you that we received the final grant and you are all paid-"

*Beep*

"Message skipped, next message."

"Hi, Trisha it's Amber...Hank's sister? Well, I am calling because he is awake. The doctors though are concerned-"

*Beep*

"Message skipped, end of saved messages*


An early morning storm front had just moved through the city. Though it didn't rain the winds had battered the city which oddly enough created an almost refreshing feel when mammals finally started to brave the streets.

Clouds still hung over the metropolis and there was a calming breeze but for the most part, it was starting to look like a crisp and pleasant day.

The weather reminded a certain brown bunny of her home city as she stood on the sidewalk and looked up at the gray skies. She blinked a few times before looking from the clouds to a large neon sign that was currently switched off.

She had nearly missed the building, having taken a step past it when she looked at the address which had been painted on the corner of the building.

The numbers "10-7" had only clicked when she remembered that it was actually the name of the bar her cousin had set an interview up for.

A pair of bright blue eyes stared up at the sign and then at the large black door. It looked worn at a certain spot which was probably from the bouncer opening and closing the door for the many patrons arriving in the evening.

Though the clouds blocked out the sun it was odd looking at the bar during the day.

The bunny had a feeling it looked a lot nicer during the evening.

After a second or two the doe looked down at her outfit. She took a moment to make sure the buttons to her bright white blouse were secure.

She noticed a strand of her own dark brown fur was clinging to her black dress pants. The bunny reached down and brushed the strand of fur away and made sure her pants weren't wrinkled before standing up straight.

With a confident breath, the bunny took a few steps forward and put a paw against the large black door before giving it a firm push.

The door had some weight to it but not too much for the doe to handle.

She managed to make her way inside and after taking a few steps she stopped as her eyes adjusted to the low lighting inside the bar.

A few work lights were on here and there while some rock music played from the sound system installed throughout the bar.

Some humming was coming from a ladder where a gray wolf in a firehouse shirt and khaki shorts was busy tinkering with what looked to be a light bar.

Normally the device belonged on top of a ZPD cruiser but now the lights were held up in the air by a series of cables.

The wolf let out a curse as something made an odd buzzing noise inside the light.

"That sounded painful!" Came a playful shout from somewhere behind the bar.

"I swear Echo is trying to get me to fry myself. I told her I only know so much about light work…" the wolf spat back.

"Hey you are the one who jumped at clearing your tab by doing chores," the voice behind the bar teased.

"I better be getting a beer after all this," the wolf chuckled.

"Name it sweetie and it's yours," a lovely otter said as she came into view from behind the bar.

The smaller mammal had a large black tray in her paw filled with napkin dispensers. She was looking up at the wolf who was busying himself with the light before her dark green eyes finally came across the bunny who was still taking in all the various pictures of responders on the walls of the bar.

"Oh hello there," the otter said as she set down the tray on a table nearby before sauntering over to the bunny.

As the otter made her way over the bunny gave the smaller mammal a quick once over with her bright blue eyes.

The doe had to do everything she could to keep herself from licking her lips at the sight of the otter who was in a pair of tight black shorts that went well with the firetruck red shirt currently clinging to the barmaid's figure.

"Hi, I am here for an interview," the doe said as she extended a paw.

"You must be Trisha," the otter said sweetly as she took the doe's paw and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I am Em, I love your outfit."

"Oh, this old thing?" Trisha asked as she looked down at her outfit and then back at Em. "I totally didn't just buy it for this interview."

"I can tell," Em said, her lips curling as she reached over and flicked a tag still hanging from the collar of the shirt.

"Oh it's supposed to be like that," Trisha chuckled as she reached up and pulled the tag off. "It's all the craze back home."

The doe gave the otter a playful wink before looking down at her outfit once more.

"May I?" Em asked which was met by a quick nod by the doe.

The otter approached and took a moment to fix Trisha's collar and then walked around the bunny who stood her ground, her eyes following the otter.

"You have some fur," Em chuckled.

"Go ahead and get it," Trisha chuckled. "Sorry, haven't had an interview in like forever. Been in-"

Trisha's eyes widened as she felt a paw on her rear.

"There, got it," Em said as she held up a small strand of fur over Trisha's shoulder so the bunny could see.

Trisha immediately reached up and plucked another strand of fur from one of her ears and then slapped it to her rear.

"Can you get that one too?"

Em let out a loud laugh and helped the bunny once more before strolling back in front of the mischievous new arrival.

"Oh I like you," Em said with a smirk.

"I like me too," Trisha beamed.

This was met by an eye roll from the otter who took a moment to lean against the table she had set the tray of napkins on.

"So have you ever bartended before?"

Trisha bit her lower lip, "I took some classes for fun and got a license when I started school but that was a little bit ago. Otherwise…"

"Are you willing to learn?"

"Every day is a good day to learn," Trisha shot back with a wink. "I am sure you could show me a thing or two."

Em's eyes widened slightly before she let out another laugh.

"Bit of a flirt aren't you?"

"So? Flirting is fun."

Em smirked and gave the doe a nod. The bunny had a point.

"Plus I learned it eases the tension," Trisha admitted.

Em tilted her head slightly as the bunny continued.

"I noticed that sometimes mammals enjoy a little playful flirting and it puts them at ease."

"That's actually kind of-"

"-which makes them lower their guard so I can swoop in and rob them blind," Trisha finished.

Em closed her eyes and shook her head as she let out another laugh.

"Won't lie though, I'm mostly bark, not much bite," Trisha chuckled before taking a step right up to Em so they were an inch apart. "But I am always up for trying."

Em's eyelids drooped as she stood her ground and stared right into the bright blues before her.

"You and I are gonna get along just fine," Em said softly as she reached over and grabbed the tray of napkins dispensers once more. "Boss is in the back office. Last door on the left, she is expecting you."

With that, Em went back to prepping the 10-7 for the patrons that would be arriving soon.

Trisha let out a deep breath. She felt a little more relaxed and like herself after her little interaction with the lovely otter.

She couldn't remember the last time she had just simply enjoyed a conversation. Things had been so hectic for the doe as of late it was nice to just, well, talk.

The bunny took one last look at her outfit and then strolled down the bar and made her way into the back hall. There were some signs for the restrooms and storage.

She passed an open door and managed to peek inside what she could assume was the employee locker room. She had never seen a bar with its own spot for the employees. Let alone one with a couch.

Oh, snap! I could take a nap at work! Or maybe build a fort.

As the bunny made her way down the hall she noticed the posters on the walls. All of them seemed to be blown up pictures of the various Firehouses throughout Zootopia.

When Trisha reached the end of the hall she looked at the door on the left which was currently ajar.

Some classic rock was coming from the room and Trisha could hear someone typing away at a computer.

A name plaque on the door simply read Echo.

Trisha reached out and gave the door a firm series of knocks before pushing it open.

Her bright blue eyes met a pair of lovely teal ones as the two mammals looked at one another.

Seated behind a modern-looking black desk was a painted dog in a firehouse shirt. A large pretzel stick was sticking out of the canine's mouth and she looked somewhat surprised.

"Hi, I am here for the interview," Trisha said with a sweet smile.

The painted dog's eyes widened and she looked at her computer and then back at the bunny.

"Oh my gosh," the painted dog said in a surprised manner, the pretzel falling from her muzzle. "Ack my snack!"

"Oh sorry!" Trisha said as she waved a paw.

"Don't be," The canine said kindly as she waved a paw and plucked the pretzel from her lap before giving the bunny an embarrassed smile. "I should be apologizing. I completely spaced. I got into the zone doing some stuff online."

"You were totally browsing Zamazon weren't you," Trisha teased, feeling a little more relaxed.

The painted dog's eyes widened again and she reached over and adjusted the screen to make sure Trisha couldn't see it.

"Noooooo…." The canine said in a rather unconvincing manner.

Trisha raised a brow and folded her arms before leaning against the door frame.

The painted dog quickly reached for a plastic container and held it up.

"I will give you a pretzel if you promise not to tell Em," the canine offered as she gave the container a wiggle.

Trisha glanced up at the ceiling for a moment, looking as if she were deep in thought. She then beamed at the painted dog and nodded before slipping into the room.

After scooping up a large pretzel stick and taking a seat Trisha took a moment to look around the office.

There were more posters and pictures in the room, along with filing cabinets, and boxes covered in various knick-knacks. While it wasn't exactly spotless there seemed to be a kind of controlled chaos to the mess.

The painted dog looked back at the computer screen and moved the wireless mouse on the desk around as she minimized her shopping tabs.

She then took another bite of her snack before giving Trisha her full attention.

"Again I am sorry I totally spaced on the time," the painted dog chuckled. "Are you thirsty? We have soda, bottled water, I mean we also have beer but-"

Trisha's ears perked up at the mention of beer and the painted dog grinned. She stood up and held up a paw.

"Wait right here, we got a new one I wanted to try and you can be my test bunny."

Trisha chuckled and couldn't believe how odd this interview was going. She had been to others in the past but everything had been so uniform and formal. This was the polar opposite.

As the painted dog came around the desk and headed for the door Trisha's eyes fell upon the canine's legs. Specifically, the one that appeared to be made of metal with a firehouse logo "tattooed" on the ankle.

The bunny blinked for a second or two as she watched her interviewer exit the office.

She is kinda cute. Wonder if she has more white spots on her fur….ack! Bad bunny! This might be our new boss!

The doe closed her eyes and did her to maintain her composure. It was one thing to flirt with Em but she had a feeling it would be unwise to throw some moves towards her future employer.

A minute passed before Trisha's ears went up once more. She heard some footsteps coming down the hall and waited patiently as the canine returned with two dark bottles and two curved glasses.

She set the glasses on the desk and then passed Trisha one of the bottles.

The bunny stared at the label which had a picture of a beach with a sunset in the background. A feline in a bikini was standing on the sand, looking out at the water.

"It's supposed to be kinda refreshing," the canine muttered as she sat down. There was a pause before her teal eyes went wide. She smacked a paw to her head and shook her head. "I am so bad at these interviews. I haven't even introduced myself."

"Well, I was told to meet a pretty painted dog named Echo so I just assumed that was you," Trisha chuckled.

The painted dog let out a snort but Trisha noticed the slightest of blushes appearing on the white spots of Echo's cheeks.

"And I was told I was to interview a sweet bunny named Trisha," Echo said with a smirk.

Trisha raised a brow.

"Didn't my cousin arrange all this?"

"Ariel? That's your cousin right?"

"Yeah, but I find it hard to believe she used the word sweet," Trisha said with a wink.

"She used other words too," Echo chuckled as she began to struggle opening her beer bottle.

"I'm sure," Trisha laughed as she placed the top of her bottle against the top of the desk. With a graceful slap, she caused the bottle to move down, forcing the cap to pop off the top and into the air. The bunny grabbed it mid-air and smirked at Echo who had frozen.

"That was kinda cool," Echo chuckled.

Trisha places her open bottle on the desk and reached forward, signaling for Echo to paw over her bottle.

"You should see what I can do with bar cherries," The doe said suggestively. She mentally winced as she reminded herself she was supposed to be a little more professional.

A fit of laughter on the other side of the desk made Trisha's ears go up.

"Oh gosh you are gonna fit right in here," the painted dog snorted.

Trisha grinned as she repeated her little opening trick, using the desk as the opener before pawing back the freshly opened bottle to Echo.

The two poured the beer into their glasses before taking a taste of the new beer. Trisha smacked her lips before pursing them.

"Oh Gods that's bitter," the doe mumbled as she set her glass back on the desk.

"Yeah, that's borderline IPA right there," Echo admitted as she swirled the beer around in her own glass before taking another sip. "So Ariel actually spoke very highly of you. And one of the main rules in my old line of work is you listen to Dispatchers because if ya don't you are in for a long shift."

Trisha blinked and tilted her head slightly.

"Did you work with my cousin before?" Trisha asked as she settled in her seat.

"Can't say I did," Echo muttered as she looked into her glass at the amber liquid. "I was ZFD ya see. Most of the time I was in the back of the rig. The drivers and officers normally handled communication with dispatch. I just focused on putting the wet stuff on the hot stuff."

Trisha chuckled at the simple yet elegant description of Echo's previous job.

"Have to say though your cousin has a voice made for the radio," Echo teased.

"Oh gosh right? We used to tell her she should have gone and been a radio DJ."

"She loves what she does though which is important."

"Did you enjoy being a firemammal?" Trisha asked as she reached over and braved another sip of beer.

"Loved it," Echo said with a sigh. "Sadly though the universe had other plans."

Trisha did her best but her eyes went to the desk which was hiding Echo's legs. It was only for a second but it was just long enough.

"Yeah, losing the leg was not exactly good for the career," Echo muttered but kept a smile on her muzzle. "Course from what I understand I am not the only one who is on a new career path."

Trisha's eyes went a little wider as Echo gave her a questioning look.

"Why didn't you include your Master's degree on your resume?" Echo asked as she folded her arms across her chest and leaned back in her seat.

Trisha let out a sigh as she tried to think of what to say next.

"I...I didn't think it was important," Trisha said with an innocent shrug. "I mean I didn't think a degree would-"

"A master's degree," Echo chimed in before letting Trisha continue.

"I didn't think a master's degree would be important to work at a bar."

"You are right, shouldn't you be like teaching a college class or something? Or maybe going into a career that-" Echo began but froze as she saw something in Trisha's eyes.

It was pain…

The same kind of pain Echo experienced when she had to face the fact she couldn't continue with the ZFD.

Trisha may not have been missing a leg but Echo could tell that this bunny wasn't exactly whole at the moment.

The painted dog let out a sigh before continuing.

"Listen I didn't mean to pry, I mean I understand more than most that sometimes even after all the training to go down one path we have to go down another. Ariel and I were talking and we were both just curious. I mean I think you are probably the most educated mammal working here now."

Trisha's ears went up slightly at the last part which made Echo chuckle.

"So I am guessing I aced this interview then?" the bunny grinned as she took a long swig of beer only to wince and gag slightly.

Echo let out a snort at the doe's reaction before leaning back in her chair once more.

"To be honest you had the job as soon as you knocked on the door. Em was part of the interview. If she didn't like what she saw then you would have been told I stepped out. Plus Ariel and her friends gave you some great recommendations."

Trisha's grin turned slightly mischievous as she began to kick her legs back and forth.

"Em liked what she saw huh?"

Echo blinked a few times before she realized what the bunny was implying.

"I meant job-wise," the painted dog corrected. "She pretty much runs the operation when it comes to the front of house. I meanwhile make sure everything stays well stocked and you all get paid."

"Which is why you are currently my favorite mammal," Trisha teased.

Echo chuckled at the bunny's comment before a serious look crossed her muzzle.

"Now...about what the job entails…"

For all her bubbly nature and goofy antics, Trisha managed to remain quiet and respectful as Echo went over what she would ask of the doe.

She told Trisha the same thing she had told Em, Mac, and all the others who wanted a job at the responder bar. Echo reminded Trisha that she would be an ear to listen to patrons' woes, a playful relief from a long shift, or maybe even a shoulder to cry on.

Echo was impressed how Trisha didn't even flinch.

In fact, if the painted dog didn't know better there was pride behind the watering blue eyes.

It was exactly what Echo had wanted to see. Not someone hesitant or a little weary.

No, Trisha seemed to more than willing to step up and be exactly what the bar needed.

The rest of the interview was more about the logistics behind the job such as pay, benefits, and uniform.

"We don't really have a required uniform but if you want to make something first responder-related you are welcome to."

"Maybe something firehouse red like what Em has on?" Trisha asked with a raised brow.

"Sure."

"Cool I'll go get it off her," Trisha said casually as she stood up from her seat.

"Wait what?!" Echo blurted out as she watched the doe who was cackling playfully leave the office.

A second or two later Echo could hear Em laughing from the front of the bar.

Echo looked over at her computer and clicked on an app that opened up a series of camera views. She spotted Trisha who was talking to Em, both the ladies seemed to be rather giddy as they chatted for a second or two.

After a quick hug with the otter, Trisha made her way out of the bar.

Echo's teal eyes remained on the screen as she watched from a camera that had a perfect view of the sidewalk in front of the bar.

She let out a loud laugh as she watched Trisha stop on the sidewalk, look around, and then burst into a little dance as she threw her arms up in the air.

"So she seems fun," Came a pleased sounding voice at the entry of Echo's office.

The painted dog looked up to see Em leaning against the door frame.

"You figure anything more about her degree?" The otter asked with a curious expression.

Echo sighed and shook her head, "Nope."

"We will get it out of her eventually," Em said as she turned to leave.

"Em."

"Yeah, boss?"

"Maybe for now it's best to just leave her past in the past."

Em blinked a few times but nodded with a smile.

"You got it Echo."

With that, Em returned to her duties making sure the bar was ready for the afternoon patrons.

Echo meanwhile focused on finishing up some work on the computer. Before she left the office she made sure to print out the bar's weekly update.

It was a flyer she would post in the employee break area. Sometimes it would have specials or drinks Echo needed the bartenders to push. Or the occasional birthday announcement.

This one though had another type of announcement.

"Team, please join me in welcoming the newest member of the squad; Trisha Rose. Careful, she is a hugger. Just ask Em."


Hey all!

So here we are! The final arc to our little story.

While Trisha is my favorite creation she has always had a bit of a troubled past. Both canon and in the fandom in general. When I first started out writing in the Zootopia fandom she was always in the back of my mind waiting to be let loose. When I finally did it was met with mostly positive reviews but sadly there are always those who are a bit more critical than others.

I always wanted to delve deeper into Trisha's past and what she did before Judy's arrival to the city but never felt like I had the opportunity or time in my stories. Let's face it, we all know which bunny the fandom really wants to read about. ;P

So now we can learn a little bit more about Trisha and why she is the way she is.

Lots more silliness is just around the corner!

Thank you all for your continued support.

Stay safe,

-Blue