Bogo's frown deepened as he asked, "Fraternization rules?"
"Yes, fraternization rules. If Judy and I are in a romantic relationship, can you still guarantee that we'll be partners after I graduate?"
Bogo scowled then looked at Hopps. "You and Wilde are in a romantic relationship?"
Judy's ears were burning bright red and she dropped them behind her back. Interlocking her fingers to keep from fidgeting, she said, "Well, after having several heartfelt discussions in the last two days about our past, the present, and our hopes for the future, Nick asked me to be his girlfriend last night and I accepted."
Bogo turned his scowl back to Wilde. Although he knew they were developing feelings for each other, they seemed to be moving awfully fast—even by bunny standards.
Nick held his paws up and said, "Hey, don't look at me like that. I'm a red fox, and we do very long courtships and really short engagements. The vixen, though, ultimately sets the pace of our relationship." With a grin curving his muzzle, he added, "As it just so happens, I had my heart stolen by an energetic, impatient bunny who pointed out that we waited long enough to find each other, and we shouldn't waste any more time now that we have each other." Grinning with happiness, Nick shrugged his shoulders and added, "Who am I to argue with such sound logic?"
Bogo snorted, then turned his attention back to Hopps. "Is this true?"
"Well, Chief," Judy started as she slipped her paw back into Nick's, "life is short. We nearly died several times in under 12 hours. And setting aside the whole 'being a cop is a risky job', Nick's dad was brutally murdered, his brother was the victim of a hit and run, I've had several siblings die due to illness and accidents, and there's a myriad of other ways we could die. I hope we'll have a long productive life, but the future isn't certain. And I know what I want, what I need—and that's Nick. No one has ever done for me what he has. No one understands me like he does. And no one has ever made me feel the way I do about him."
With a sweet smile, she added, "All it took was one ear massage to know I didn't want anyone else touching me." With a shrug, she said, "What can I say? He's it for me and I don't need time to make it any clearer."
Turning his sharp gaze back to Wilde, who was giving Hopps a warm expression, Bogo asked, "Is this how you feel as well?"
"Absolutely, 100 percent. I'm a red fox and we commit for life. We don't play the field. We don't do it over. It's one and done." Slipping his paw around her shoulder and running his claws lightly down her arm (causing her to shiver slightly), he leaned forward and said smugly, "Fluff here has told me in no uncertain terms that I am to put a ring on her finger and marry her before her birthday in September." His wide grin split his whole face and showcased his white fangs as he explained, "By the time I enter the Academy, we'll already be husband and wife."
Bogo's ears flattened against his head and his muzzle turned down in a deep frown. Glancing over, he asked, "Hopps?"
Judy pressed her fingertips together and met his gaze, saying, "What can I say? Nick is all I want, and you know how impatient I am."
As Bogo turned his questioning gaze back to him, Nick said, "I'm a red todd, which means Judy's the boss. I'll gladly follow her anywhere."
Bogo seemed to deflate as he slumped back in his chair. Running his hooves down his face, he then looked at the two small mammals across from him and stated, "You two can't do anything easy can you?"
Nick leaned forward and, with a bit of heat lacing his words, said, "I'm a fox and society determined the day I was born that I wasn't worthy of having anything easy."
Judy spoke up beside him, saying, "I'm a bunny who aspired to be a cop—nothing was easy for me."
With another heavy sigh, Bogo said, "Fine. I can tell this is a losing battle."
"So we'll be able to be partners even though we're married?" Nick asked eagerly.
Bogo didn't answer right away. Although pred-prey couples were practically unheard of, and he'd never put much stock in them before, especially since predators had a reputation for being aggressive . . . but now. . . Looking at the fox and bunny across from him, he thought they could actually make it work. Hopps was no push over, and Wilde seemed to put Hopps' needs above his own.
And as for them working together on the force, as long as one wasn't the other's superior, it was really left up to Precinct Chief to determine whether they remained partners or not. Some officers needed to be separated in order to keep focused when in a relationship, while others only seemed to work well with their significant other. From the way they were talking earlier, Hopps and Wilde seemed to be in the latter group. But before he agreed to Wilde's condition for applying, he was curious about one thing. "If I can't guarantee you'll be partners, or I simply choose not to put you together, what will you do, Wilde?"
Nick studied the cape buffalo for several moments, then relaxed back in his chair and said with a sly grin, "Then I go down with my good buddy Finn and register as a P.I. Then Judy can hire me as an outside consultant to help her on some of her cases and you'll have to pay me extra." Turning to Judy, he asked, "How much does outside consultants get paid? Double or more what beat cops get paid?"
Judy nodded. "Depending on the size of the case and the level of danger involved, it could be triple or quadruple what us beat cops are paid." Nick nodded, but then Judy added, "And you can also sign up as a bounty hunter. A bit more paperwork is involved than a P.I. but it is possible."
Nick's ears perked up. "Oh, really? Why didn't you mention that last night at dinner? Finn and I could have a lot of fun as bounty hunters." Tilting his head in thought, he added, "Finn would make an awesome bounty hunter since no one would take him seriously due to his small size." Turning back to Bogo, Nick smirked, "So there you have it, Chief. I'll be a P.I. and a bounty hunter, kicking criminal tails while following my own rules, only half your regulations, and filling out only the bare minimum of paperwork I can get away with."
Bogo stared at the two smug mammals in horror at the ideas Hopps and Wilde had just presented to him. Snatching the application from Wilde's paw, he quickly scrawled his name across it, then pointed his pen at the two of them and said in no uncertain terms, "I'll guarantee you'll be partners, but if I see any PDA or notice your work slacking because you're distracted by each other, then not only will I separate you both, but I'll put you in different districts. Do I make myself clear?"
"Absolutely. 100 percent. I'd expect nothing less from you, Chief."
Judy nodded and added to Nick's comment by saying, "There's no way I'd let our relationship get in the way of our job. Being a cop is risky enough without personal distractions."
Bogo nodded, but before he could say anything more, the phone began ringing. The sound was loud and sharp, causing both Nick and Judy to jump at the unexpected noise. "Bloody phone," Bogo grumbled under his breath. Being without a mayor for the second time in three months meant the city council was hounding him with questions. They'd finally picked a candidate for the intern-mayor position but were still scrambling with the implications of Bellwether's crimes and the policies she'd put in motion that would have slowly made life harder and harder for predators, especially in the work force.
They'd even thrown together a panel of mammals to review the policies she'd enacted as mayor to determine which ones were unconstitutional. With a scowl, Bogo pressed the answer button and said with a politeness he didn't feel, "Please hold. I'll be with you in a moment." Releasing the button, he turned back to Hopps and Wilde as he pulled his desk drawer open. Taking out a tiny badge, he handed it to Hopps. "I believe this is yours."
Judy took the badge reverently and ran her paw lightly over it. Looking back at the Chief, he answered the question in her eyes by saying, "It looks like our meeting is over. You're already in the system Hopps, so you and Wilde can type up your official statements and email them to Grizzolli. He's heading the case."
After Judy's nod, Bogo turned to Wilde, saying, "I'll need to discuss your request for immunity, but I don't see it being a problem, not with how you've helped the city. We will need to set up an appointment to go over your past activities, though."
Nick nodded. This was to be expected. "Can I meet with you Monday after Judy's doctor appointment?"
"Yes. That'll give me time to talk to Judge Princeton." Taking a deep breath and momentarily glaring at the phone with its blinking red light (he really didn't want to answer it), he turned his gaze back to the mammals across from him and said, "Dismissed."
Judy nodded and slipped her badge into her pocket, but then Nick nudged her and jerked his head toward Bogo. At her questioning look, he whispered, "Your lunch date? That we're now late for."
Judy's eyes widened and she quickly glanced at the clock. It was almost 10 minutes past 11. "Right, um, Chief, there's one last little thing I need to inform you about."
"Which is?" Bogo said as he crossed his arms while trying to ignore the annoying red light blinking on his phone.
"Remember the shrew I saved when I caught Weaselton 3 months ago?"
"Yes. It was Francesca Big. Her father gave you the lead to Manchas."
"Yes, well, I ran into . . ." Judy paused as she didn't even know Fru-Fru's first name until now, "Francesca . . . again not long after I returned to the city." At Bogo's blank stare, she continued, "Francesca is pregnant and is naming her daughter after me. She's also making me her daughter's godmother."
Bogo's jaw dropped. "You're going to be the godmother of Big's granddaughter!?"
"Hm, yes. I'm also friends with Fru-Fru, I mean, Francesca. I just thought you should know so there's no misunderstandings on why I might be seen around town with her."
"And what kind of misunderstandings would that be?" Bogo ground out. Having a cop taking orders from the biggest mob boss in Tundratown wasn't good.
Judy's ears drooped, but it was Nick who spoke up. "Look, Chief, Judy is a dedicated cop, who'd rather give up her badge than taint it. Big knows this. Furthermore, Judy saved his daughter's life, and by extension, his grandchildren. For Big, you can't put a price tag on family, which means he owes Judy bigtime. And due to her friendship with Francesca, he now sees her as part of the family, so he'll never do anything to disrespect her—such as asking her to dishonor the oath she took when she became a cop."
Bogo continued to stare at the vulpine while he rolled the fox's words around in his head. It was crazy logic, and yet made perfect sense. And Wilde was right about Hopps' dedication. Bogo studied her earnest expression for several heartbeats, then snorted. Turning his gaze back to Wilde, he asked, "And you know so much about the mob boss . . . how?"
Nick's ears flicked back, then straightened again. "We'll discuss all that on Monday." At Bogo's death glare, he quickly added, "If it means anything, Honey was aware of most of the stuff I was involved in. She was a second mother to me and I didn't hide things from her." He didn't bother telling Bogo that his success with the mob boss was largely due to the spy-type gadgets Honey let him and Finnick test out.
Hearing that Honey knew of his involvement was a shock to Bogo, but it did alleviate most of his lingering misgivings about the sly todd. With another snort, Bogo jerked his head toward the door, saying, "Get out of here, I have a phone call to answer."
This time, Nick didn't hesitate to scoop Judy up and jump to the floor. Quickly sitting her in the wheelchair, he then spun her around and they were out the door just as quick as he could get the door open. They hightailed it down the hallway as they were now really late meeting Fru-Fru.
As they entered the elevator, though, Judy spoke softly, saying, "Nick?" Nick lowered his head to hear her better, and as his snout came to rest just above her head, Judy reached up with both paws and scratched at the base of each of his ears. As he hummed in pleasure, she whispered, "I know this isn't much, but I promise to make it up to you just as soon as I can."
Nick hummed happily a moment longer, then stood up as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. It didn't take them long to make their way across the lobby, but as they did, Nick noticed that the stares he was getting weren't the same ones he'd received when they came through earlier.
As they made their way down the corridor leading to the parking lot, he leaned down and whispered, "Is it just me, or was everyone looking at me weird?"
Judy glanced up over her shoulder. "You're a fox, don't people normally look at you weird?"
Nick shook his head. "This was different. Wary, disgusted, disgruntled, angry—these looks I'm used to, but back there—they were just odd. I couldn't read them and that doesn't happen very often."
Judy shrugged. "Maybe it had to do with how Staggson tried to book you and I stood up and threatened to book him."
Nick flicked an ear and straightened up. "Yeah, maybe."
Companionable silence followed them the rest of the way to the jeep, nor did they say anything as they drove the short distance to the Zootopia Central Station and parked on the second level of the parking garage. But as Judy unbuckled her seatbelt, Nick leaned across the console and caressed her cheek as he slipped a paw around to the back of her head.
As Judy glanced up in surprise, he murmured, "One last thing before I go out there and pretend I'm not crazy in love with you." And then his lips pressed against hers with his tongue demanding entrance, which she gladly granted.
Judy groaned into the passionate kiss, her paws slipping around Nick's neck and tugging him down deeper into the kiss. He growled at her excited, demanding response as his tail wagged excitedly between them. They finally came up for air and panted while trying to replenish their dwindling air supply.
With a bright smile, Judy ran her fingers through the fur of his cheek. "Thanks," she whispered breathlessly. "I needed that."
Nick's wide grin matched her own and he booped her nose with his own. Releasing her, he sat back and grabbed the box of red hots, then shook them at her with a sly grin on his face.
Judy blushed as red as the candies but readily accepted a few of the bright cinnamon pieces. Sucking on them, she waited for Nick to come around and help her into the wheelchair. It didn't take them long to reach the indoor café where Fru-Fru waited for them.
"Judy!" the arctic shrew's voice carried over the crowd as Nick wheeled Judy to her friend's table. "I hope you don't mind, but I went ahead and ordered for you."
"That's perfect, Fru-Fru." Lifting her arms, Judy let Nick pick her up and set her in her chair, then he sat down beside her.
After Fru-Fru and Judy hugged (Judy was very careful of her friend's very round belly), the tiny shrew glanced at Nick and said, "I also ordered you a seafood burrito. That's what you like, right?"
Nick grinned and his tail wagged briefly. "My favorite, thanks." Fru-Fru nodded, but then Nick continued, "I'll have to take it to go, though. I have an errand to run."
Both females' eyes widened, as neither expected Nick to scamper off. "Are you sure, Nick?" Fru-Fru asked. "You don't have to leave. You're more than welcome to stay."
Nick's eyes flickered the briefest moment towards the arctic shrew's bodyguard who sat glaring at him from a bench a few feet away. Bringing his gaze back to Fru-Fru, he replied, "I'm sure. There's a few things I need to pick up, and since I know Judy is safe in your capable paws,"—he flicked his gaze to the polar bear's—"and yours, Raymond, now would be the best time to go."
"Well, okay," Fru-Fru murmured while rubbing her belly. Little Judy was quite active already. Studying Nick, she wasn't happy about him leaving as she wanted to watch how he interacted with Judy.
As Fru-Fru turned her attention back to her friend, Nick spoke up again. "One thing before I go." As the tiny shrew turned her gaze back to him, he said, "I need you to deliver a message to your dad."
"To daddy?"
Nick nodded. "Judy asked me to join her at the ZPD and be her partner. Since I don't trust anyone else to watch her back and keep her safe, I agreed. We already talked to Bogo and he accepted my application."
Fru-Fru's eyes widened and Raymond's ears flattened against his head. Nick had a ton of dirt on Big and his operation. If he took it to the police, he could easily hang the mob boss.
"My message to your father is that I'm doing this for Judy. I'm not planning to rat out your dad. As long as he doesn't dredge up the past, then neither will I." Glancing at Judy, he added, "That doesn't mean I can overlook any new crimes I might learn about, any more than Judy can, but I'm willing to leave the past in the past."
Fru-Fru's nose twitched, then she turned her gaze to Judy's. "Is this true? You want Nick as your partner?"
Judy nodded several times. "Yes. He's the only one I really trust, and I already know we work well together. I would've died several times over and I wouldn't have gotten any of the evidence or Bellwether's confession if Nick hadn't been with me."
"Well, okay," Fru-Fru said. She still felt a little uneasy, but Nick had never lied to them before and in the five years since he'd left, he'd never led the cops to any of their operations or hideouts, which eased some of Fru-Fru's worries. "I'll let daddy know."
"Thanks, Fru-Fru, you're the best," Nick replied back. After the little shrew nodded Nick then said, "Well, I better get going. It was nice seeing you again, and thanks for lunch." Grabbing his burrito Nick stood and turned to Judy. "See ya, Carrots. I'll be back in time to meet your sisters when the train arrives. Call if you need anything."
Judy nodded, saying, "Yeah, I'll see you in a little bit." She was really curious about where Nick was going as he hadn't said anything to her.
Nick gave her his usual grin, but there was a softness in his gaze he showed only to her. Turning around, he sauntered back towards the parking garage and the waiting jeep.
Judy and Fru-Fru watched him go, then Fru-Fru turned to Judy and said in her high, shrill voice, "I really wish he had stayed. I wanted to see how he interacts with you."
Judy shrugged as she started on the Greek pasta and side salad Fru-Fru had ordered for her. It was mouthwateringly good, and she wondered if she could find the recipe online.
"It doesn't bother you when he calls you Carrots? It seems a bit derogatory."
Judy glanced up and then grinned. Swallowing her mouthful, she answered, "When he first started calling me Carrots, I hated it. But that was because he was using it as an insult, but after he stopped wasting my time and actually started helping . . ." Judy shrugged. "Nick now uses it as a term of endearment, so I don't mind. But since he has several pet names for me, I've been trying to come up with some good ones for him."
Fru-Fru's nose twitched. "Are you sure he actually likes you? I mean 'likes' likes you? I can't see how he's treating you any differently from all the other females he's been around."
Judy looked up from her food again. "We're in public so he put his mask back on. If we can, we'd like to keep our relationship under the radar until he graduates." As a dreamy smile spread across her face, she added, "Trust me when I say that Nick was anything but indifferent back in the jeep." At Fru-Fru's questioning gaze, she explained. "Nick gave me a really passionate kiss just before we got out. Said it was a necessity before we got out and he once again had to pretend not to be crazy-in-love with me."
Fru-Fru's jaw dropped, and Raymond's ears twitched from where he'd been half listening while keeping an eye on their surroundings. Big would never forgive him if anything happened to his child or grandchild.
"Wait!" Fru-Fru squeaked shrilly. "You've kissed Nick!? Like, kissed-kissed him? On the mouth?"
"Hmmm," Judy hummed as she brought a paw up and rested her cheek on it. "Oh, yeah. Nick is a fantastic kisser."
Fru-Fru studied Judy's dreamy face and couldn't believe Nick Wilde, of all mammals, was the one responsible for it. He avoided kisses (or any kind of affection) as if he'd catch the plague. "Did Nick kiss you or did you . . . ?"
"Oh, no, Nick would never make the first move. He's a todd, and as he always says, I'm the boss." Judy's mind wandered again, but then she turned back to her friend and said, "We talked about taking our relationship slow, but, well . . ." She shrugged with a sheepish smile on her face as her ears flushed red. "After waiting so long to find Nick, I'm finding myself feeling really impatient." With another shrug, she added, "I stole Nick's first kiss and then he happily gave me his second one."
Fru-Fru could only stare at her friend, unable to comprehend what she was hearing. It was obvious that Judy had very fond memories of kissing Nick, and yet the little shrew couldn't get her head wrapped around the idea that Nick Wilde was actually kissing someone. That he wanted to kiss someone. And the fact that that someone was not only her friend but a rabbit as well—Fru-Fru just couldn't picture it.
Finally, Fru-Fru spoke. "I'm not doubting you or anything, Judy, but I'm having a hard time picturing Nick kissing anyone. He never cared about that sort of thing before."
Judy took a bite of her salad while considering her friend's words. The tiny shrew obviously didn't understand Nick very well. Of course, that was probably Nick's fault for always wearing a mask of sarcasm and indifference.
Swallowing her bite, Judy met her friend's questioning gaze and asked, "Tell me Fru-Fru, of all the vixens that were chasing Nick, did any seem like the family type? Can you name one that would have committed 100 percent to Nick if he'd shown any interest in her? Or were they merely looking for some fun and a hot bed?"
Fru-Fru didn't answer right away as she considered the vixens that Nick rejected. After thinking for several moments, she said, "Well, when you put it like that, I guess not. I can't really see any of them settling down with one todd."
"And there's your answer. Nick rejected them because he didn't consider them worth his time." With a bright smile, she added, "As Nick told me, it's all or nothing, one and done. For him, there's no do over, no 'Sorry, I made a mistake'. Nick was waiting for someone he could give his whole heart and soul to, and who would give him hers in return."
Fru-Fru took a sip of the slushy she'd ordered earlier with her lunch while she thought through Judy's words. It was hard to believe that Nick was waiting to commit to such a degree. When it came to relationships, he always acted so nonchalant, annoying, and indifferent. And although Nick seemed happy enough while working for her dad (he made friends easily enough and enjoyed making those around him laugh), he never really invested himself emotionally. The only times he showed his real emotions was when he was angry, and then it was a cold, calculating, smoldering anger that usually led to misery for the one responsible.
While going over the things that set him off, Fru-Fru's eyes widened and she reached out to put a tiny paw on Judy's much larger one. "Oh, Judy, I just thought of something. If you're going to be living with Nick, there's something you need to avoid so he doesn't get mad at you."
"Oh?" asked Judy. "And what would that be?"
WingedKatt here. So we've finished the meeting with Bogo and have started the lunch date with Fru-Fru and Nick has run off. The next chapter has a lot going on as the lunch date will continue, we'll get a glimpse of what Nick is up to, and then the Chief will bring Staggson in for his punishment as well as bring in a new character for us to meet. So stay tuned.
Special thanks to BearlyThereUpstairs for proofreading this chapter.
Chapter 35: Speechless, will post on Wednesday. If you have any thoughts or comments, I'd love to hear them. Have a great weekend.
