Judy had quickly run home before heading to the movie shop. She had to pick up her weekend GoRuck for a spare change of clothes or two, if it turned out she stayed at Nick's longer than the night. The todd would likely protest and downplay everything at first, but he would not be able to hide behind his stoic nature if the night tormented him badly enough.
The most discerning thing about the day for Judy, after Nick's concerns were aired, was the feeling that something excessive was about to happen. After all, she had seen The Lost World and she was currently standing in a Bokbuster. The sudden thud of a 76 Fuels sphere would startle her badly, of course. And, she could still hear Nick crooning on about how foxy the convertible Custom-S was. The doe certainly felt all these feelings considering that it was the age of Pawflix and Prime.
The fox and the bunny had an agreement. Movie nights were spent split between the two types of movie services. Judy would pick out older movies from the video store, seemingly fit for Nick, that she was intrigued by. Nick would choose the newer stuff from streaming services that looked like it might be interesting to him. From there, they would balance what they liked and what they thought the other would like. The process led to a lot of movies that neither had seen at all. And certainly, some that one fell in love with that the other already found endearing.
The uncomfortable feeling within Judy had not been felt before while working her way through the store. This was routine. The feeling was not. The bunny knew that Nick had always erred on the side of caution, going back to all the stories that he had told her, and she had high hopes that nothing would come of all of this. The thought did not bring any comfort, though.
Judy slowly meandered through the classic films section, humming slightly at the fact that there were plenty of gangster and country films to choose from, and carefully chose four titles from the shelves. Once she had paid for and stowed the films away in her purse, she made her way towards Nick's apartment complex. The doe decided to take one little detour to the corner store. It was still early in the afternoon and there was no rush.
Seeing as it was a work-day for most mammals, there wasn't a bunch of hustle and bustle in Harvest Moon Groceries. Judy made her way down the candy aisles to see what All Hallows Eve products were on sale. The holiday was still a ways out, but stores had begun having a propensity for putting up decorations ahead of time. The doe couldn't help but smile at seeing other mammals and their holidays, though. Lapine culture did not include an All Hallows / Halloween. It was a canid and felid holiday. There had not been a lot of those species of predators in the Burrows when she was a kit and she never got to experience it.
I wonder of All Hallows is a thing for vulpine culture… Judy thought quietly to herself.
Judy had been extremely busy throughout the last couple of cases that her and Nick had been on. She pulled out her iCarrot and opened the notes app so that she could add the curiosity to the list. It had to have been about three-months back when she started coming up with things to research on vulpine culture so that she could better understand her partner's life and tendencies. Only now did she feel that she might have time to look some of those things up. Once Judy finished tapping away on her smartphone, she stowed it and began wrangling Nick's favorite kinds of gummy candies and some carrot candy corn for herself. As she turned around to head off to the non-alcoholic beverages area, she found a she-wolf standing behind her.
"Oh! I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to be in the way!" Judy said, startled that she hadn't heard the wolf's approach. It took a moment to notice that the she-wolf was wearing an employee's garb.
"It's my apology that should be heard. I recognized your scent and decided to see if you were who I thought you were." The she-wolf explained, causing Judy's eyes to grow wide. "You're the doe who showed up at the club, aren't you? Judy Hopps, I believe?"
Judy couldn't help it as her paws tightened around the buddle of junk food in concern. Her minded tried to cycle through all the mammals who had been in the stillhouse as she nodded softly. The she-wolf smiled in a kind manner at this. The doe knew her darned nose was twitching anxiously on her face.
"Nick had told Dave that you might suddenly show up. He had given us all fair warning that you were probably concerned for him. I'm Rory Silverthorne… Dave's girlfriend. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Hopps." The she-wolf continued, giggling smally. "I'd shake your paw, but you have your paws full of the todd's goodies."
A rapid feeling of embarrassment filled Judy's chest and flushed her ears, promptly making them fall behind her head. It was somewhat true that she had more snacks for Nick than for herself. She was holding out for pizza, though… Logically.
"It's nice to meet you, Miss Silverthorne." Judy greeted the she-wolf politely. "I was concerned for Nick, so I wanted to make sure everything was alright."
"We assumed as much. You can call me Rory, by the way. Do you need a paw? I can bring a cart if you still need more." Rory said, indicating to the goods that Judy was carrying around somewhat haphazardly.
"I just need a couple of drinks now. That's all. And you can call me Judy."
"Come on then. I'll help ya." Rory said, waving a paw for the bunny to follow her through the store.
Judy quietly followed Rory through the store and past some of the other customers until they were in the area that had all the drinks. The she-wolf was kind enough to pick up the required sodas and juices before leading the doe up to one of the front registers. It was odd that Rory stayed quiet the entire time. Judy could not help but glance at her periodically to see if anything might be revealed, but it seemed that inquires would have to be made.
"Can you tell me… How has he been doing? I only just managed to see what he had been up to…" Judy explained while Rory rang up the items.
"It would be dishonorable to speak on Mister Wilde's behalf regarding to his condition. I will only say that he has seemed better, as they all have, and I imagine that he has already alluded to you himself about that." Rory said passively, bagging the goods that Judy had procured.
"I see. If you've had a part in that, I'd like to thank you." Judy said kindly, her ears raised in interest. It was pleasant to hear that Nick seemed to easily be making friends outside of the Precinct. The todd was always extremely reserved with strangers, after all.
"It has been hard for all of us, in some fashion, but it seems to be a good thing that we all found each other and that they started playing like they did. We've all helped each other, and Nick has been a lot for everyone. If there's anybody whom we all should thank, it's him. If you've had a paw in helping him along then, by extension, a thank you is owed to you as well, Judy." Rory said with an honest tone. The scanner beeping along until all the goods were bagged.
Judy had passively stuck her bank card into the chip reader as she listened to the she-wolf's explanation. It wasn't a big deal to her. It was simply the desire to be a good friend for someone, whether they were going through a tough time or not. That was always something that felt natural to Judy.
"And, then, there's the thanks you're owed for saving more predators from a similar fate that Dave did." The she-wolf said quietly, watching as Judy stepped around the bagging area to clear the register. Before Judy could retort, Rory spoke again. "I expect that you'll be at the next practice. It was good to meet you, Judy Hopps. You have a nice day."
The she-wolf smiled at the small doe warmly before turning to help the next customer in line. Judy took her bags after giving a quiet wave to the larger mammal. She could not help the sad smile that graced her lips before turning to head out to Nick's apartment complex. The walk was filled with thoughts of Nick again and the gray doe had a feeling that they would end up doing a lot more talking, now that the todd was opening-up, as opposed to watching movies. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that, but Judy did not want to seem too intrusive due to her curiosity.
The path to the apartment complex was quick and quiet. There weren't many mammals out on the workday and a lot of the post-lunch traffic had dissipated. Judy went through the entry doors of the Breezeway Apartment Complex and headed down the main hall of the first floor. Nick's room was down on the end and she knocked once she was there.
"C'mon in, Fluff. The door's unlocked." Nick called from within.
She opened the door and was immediately greeted by the harsh smell of cleaning and freshening products with a gentle undertone of baking. The usual imbuing of musk seemed to have been purposefully smacked down and was only truly emanating from the todd sitting on a stool near the stove. Judy went over and set her GoRuck down on the couch before bringing the snacks over to the kitchen island. The doe hadn't initially noticed that Nick had one of his guitars in his lap, but finally clued into something being up when she noticed that there was a noticeable gap in the collection on the wall.
"What are you doing, Slick?" She asked with a happy smile.
"Well, Officer Fluff, you are now a part of Operation Birthday Surprise. I've already done all the hard work, but you're going to help me with the frosting and decorating of the cake that's in the oven." Nick explained in a low, conspirative tone.
Judy's eyes shot open wide with glee. If there was something that she loved doing, it was secretive birthday planning for others. It was also an opportunity to see how Nick did things to prepare for whatever he might be planning for her birthday after the turn of the New Year. It was a win-win!
"Whose birthday is it?" Judy whispered.
"Tomorrow is Tracy's. You know, the squirrelly lil' landlord that I have across the hall." The todd said with a smile. "I have to get her back for all the times she calls my ears 'Doritos' and uses them like ostrich reins."
The memories of those incidents threw the bunny into a fit of giggles. Even more diminutive than herself, the squirrel was as feisty as a nest of angry hornets and it was always so entertaining to watch Tracy ride Nick around the area on occasion. Even though it did frustrate Judy in the beginning, causing Nick to poke fun at her periodically.
It's so cute when you blow up your cheeks like that, he would say. And, subsequently, get boxed firmly in the side or in the arm.
Nick turned as the timer went off and he proceeded to pull the cake out from the oven to cool before they could layer it with icing. He carefully set it down on the stove top with the oven mitts and went back over to his guitar before considering Judy with a smile.
"You brought your bag along?" The todd inquired after a moment, tilting his head while his ear flicked gently.
"No! Don't you deflect again, Nick. You're telling me that I get to help with a surprise cake and get to listen to you play your guitar today?" Judy said firmly, pointing at the fox.
The look of bashful surprise seemed to overwhelmed Nick. He looked down and away while grinning widely as his tail swished around behind him. He was laughing lightly in all his embarrassment. Judy couldn't help but watch as Nick's fangs glittered and danced in the kitchen lighting. The doe could not help but feel intrigued by them despite her innate feeling of fear from sight. Nick would not hurt her with his fangs, or his claws and that knowledge made the sight equally exotic in nature. Judy also noted a gentle spike of violets on the air; his natural musk tempering the immediate vicinity.
Instead of verbally replying, the todd reached down to turn the power on to his amp before setting the volume. He carefully adjusted an earpiece that he had in before tapping out a command on his phone. Judy's eyes went popped open wide as Nick began strumming a gentle intro that progressively got heavier. The amp quietly carried a heavy bass sound, though the doe couldn't quite be sure knowing nothing of playing music, around the room. It was set lower than she would have liked but knew that it wouldn't be good to bother the neighbors.
Judy watched as the Nick began gently nodding his head to what she assumed with the original track in his ear. The solo was carried with a soft biting of the todd's lip or drawing of his maw behind those fangs. Nick could feel the music within his skull as he began to mouth the lyrics soundlessly, keeping tune with the song being played jovially.
"…face showin' no emotion, shackled by my sentence…" His tone carried just loud enough over the riffs for a moment. "…here there is no penance, my skin begins to burn…"
Judy was leaned up against the counter and watching the musical display with a rapt fascination. It was certainly unexpected that Nick would just give in and play: even though he had said that he was done with hiding everything from the doe. And, all too quickly, the todd was hitting the final crescendo before letting the strings slowly draw out the conclusion until he finally clicked the amp off. Nick unplugged the guitar and took it over to hang it up properly. An inward draw of breath hitched in Judy's throat as she considering saying something.
"Whenever you want me to play, Fluff, just let me know." He said all the while, feeling the doe's eyes on him as he worked his way around the room. "You certainly seemed captivated by it, after all."
Lion Christ, Judy thought in a panic. I'm way too easy to read.
And what was worse… Despite his earlier demeanor, the music seemed to solidify Nick's confidence around her. There was a suave firmness in his speech, and the todd looked extremely poised as he approached the kitchen island again.
"So, why didn't you keep going?" She asked politely, trying to straighten out her emotions and tamper down the blush.
That, however, did not work. Judy looked up to find Nick staring straight through her with an unrivaled intensity. She had seen plenty of exceptional staring contests, between bucks and does, at Bunnyburrow High before she left for the city, of course… This was something entirely different. Nick's pupils were slitted to a degree. It was not as severe as Judy remembered it being in the Museum and it certainly was not due to a sexual tension. Nick was simply peering into every nook and cranny of her emotion state to figure out what was on her mind. Frustration mounted, because the doe could not stop the slow turn-key sensation that began purring to her baser needs. The intensity of the impassioned gaze was arousing, and Judy hoped that he couldn't tell.
On the other paw, Nick's nose wasn't twitching… Sometimes she was a dumb bunny, but she wasn't a moron. There was no way he couldn't sense it. He was a gentlemale. Nick would not say a word about it, but that was frustrating in and of itself because he could still hide things from her if he truly put the effort in. But… the inner monologue was broken when the fox diverted his gaze.
"I'm sorry," He said softly. "They're doing that thing again, aren't they?"
"What?" Judy said in surprise, the reverie broken.
"The doctors told me that the pupil constriction would last throughout the rest of my life. It happens when I hit a high enough emotional level on any part of the spectrum." Nick explained, rubbing his eyes in the process. "I didn't mean to frighten you."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier, Slick?" She asked seriously.
Nick chuckled softly. "I only just decided to let you see all of me and let the consequences be damned, Carrots. I had hoped to explain before you witnessed it firsthand. And I would've rather you seen it from a third-party perspective as opposed to you being the target-in-question." He explained.
Judy blinked for a moment before hopping up onto the counter and sliding her bottom around the edge until she was in front of the fox. She firmly, albeit carefully, took a hold on the scruffs of his cheeks to pull him close. It had surprised Nick when Judy smiled, though it should not have. The doe began rubbing her paws vigorously around his cheeks and then up to his forehead annoyingly. The todd could not help but laugh as Judy caught his retreating ears to ruffle them, as well. While Nick was caught off-guard by the affection, Judy was slowly becoming more serious in her adventures. The todd's tail churned faster behind him as his head fell closer and closer to Judy's frame.
Cheese and crackers… His ears are so soft and fluffy, Judy thought to herself.
And they certainly do look like the cutest lil' Doritos… They're certainly getting hot to the touch, as well, her inner Rebel drawled deviously.
A gentle whining caught Judy by surprise. Before she could fully hone-in on it, though, Nick was out of her reach and laughing as he gently began brushing his paws over his ruffled fur. He eyed her suspiciously all the while to make sure that she wasn't about to leap out and continue her attack.
"Miss Hopps, you're hereby restricted to whichever is the opposite side of the couch for tonight's movies." Nick declared loudly.
Judy began to sputter and wildly retort in annoyance, but Nick wasn't listening. He rambled on about his gorgeous fur being smushed and mussed all about. Her long ears were erect and flushed badly at the display. The todd was swooning in circles and clutching his tail dearly.
"Geez, Carrots. I know you love me and all, but grabbing the ears? At least buy a todd dinner first." Nick said bluntly, dramatically fanning his face for the effects.
This time, Judy jumped up on the counter properly, jabbing a little furry finger out at Nick: who was simply side-eyeing her provokingly. She regained her breath and laid her ears back purposefully to look somewhat intimidating. It did not seem to be working by the look of things.
"First off, you ostentatious peacock backside," Judy said loudly while Nick did his best to strangle his laughter. "I wanted to cheer you up because I'm not afraid of that. I'm annoyed that you didn't tell me sooner." Once Nick seemed to be finished with smoothing his fur, Judy reached out and poked him firmly in the chest. "Secondly, why does Tracy get to hang all over them, but I can't touch them? And, thirdly! You were enjoying it, Slick!"
Nick laughed, but grew serious as well, turning so that he could lean his back against the counter languorously with his head held back in a gentle tilt.
"Firstly, and for the record, I'm an ostrich's ass, Fluff," Nick clarified, aiming an intent side-eye at Judy as his maw grew into a gentle but fanged smile. Judy knew that the todd was goading her playfully. "Secondly, Tracy's like a kithood friend's older sister. She's off the market and totally out of my league. I am ostentatiously handsome and charming, but alas, she could never love a fox like me. And, thirdly…" Nick paused for dramatic effect as he leaned towards the doe with his tilted head. "Being suddenly propositioned in such a manner is always pleasant and enjoyable for a red fox."
To her credit, Judy felt her body hold fast on the countertop, looming over the top of the todd's long snout as she tried not to lose her composure. Where she lost points was not being sure if he was being serious about the connotation. Judy really did not know any better due to not having gone through her research yet. He was slick indeed because her jaw fell open.
"Spoilt cabbages, Nick, I didn't know that!" She burst out finally.
She watched as Nick practically rolled over along the edge of the counter, the grin never slipping away as the amusement danced in his eyes. The pupils fighting against the fox to constricted as they had been earlier. He rested his elbows on the counter and his head in his paws while looking her over.
"So, Fluffbutt…" Nick said with an intone. He was badly mimicking her. "Was that the furthest you've ever gone with a todd?"
Judy's paws shot out surprisingly quick in her embarrassment, boxing the hell out of his nearest shoulder as he began laughing loudly. Not even trying to fend her off.
"Nicholas Wilde, you are most certainly an ostentatious ass." Judy finalized the topic loudly.
Nick gasped loudly at that. "What would your mother think of you using such language, Carrots?! For shame!"
Laughter continued to reverberate around the kitchen area as Nick rounded the island to collect up the needed supplies so that they could decorate the cake. A decently sized container of cake icing slid onto the counter and two spatulas were laid down near it. Nick proceeded to take a temp-gauge to the cake before deciding that it was adequately cooled for decorating.
"Alright, Carrots. Let's get this thing whipped up and stashed at Tracy's before she gets home." He said happily.
"Sounds good!" Judy said jovially, picking up a spatula so that she could help.
The two quickly iced the cake properly and Nick allowed Judy to write out an elegant cursive birthday message on the top. Then, Nick decorated the edged portion of the cake itself with what Judy assumed was Tracy's favorite color. Once he was done, Judy noticed that Nick took out a card from a folded jacket that was laid along the backrest of one of the bar chairs. Then, he brandished a pen and scribbled inside the card and on the front of the envelope. Once he was done, he handed the card to her.
"You should sign it, as well, Carrots. Make sure to leave a cutesy little doodle in there." Nick said with a smile.
The doe took the pen and opened the card to find that Nick had drawn his own smiling fox figure, with the note: "The kindness that you've shown will never go unappreciated. I hope you have an amazing birthday, Tracy. – Nick."
Judy looked up to find that Nick was no longer paying attention to the card. He was carefully sliding the cake onto a flat Tupperware plate so that he could put a cover on it. The doe quickly wrote a kind birthday message and a happy, winking bunny face in the card before shoving it in the envelope with a blush on her ears. She certainly did not want Nick to see such an embarrassing bit of imagery and she hoped that Tracy would not show him later. Judy slowly set the card down on the counter while Nick continued to slowly slide the cake into position on the pastry board.
"Alrighty, Carrots. Give me a minute. I need to go put this in her apartment." Nick said, taking the card and placing it on the plastic container. "Go ahead and do whatever you need to do. You know where everything is. I'll order the pizza when I get back."
"OK!" Judy said excitedly.
The todd carefully carried the container out of apartment while jangling his keys around in his offhand. Once he had shut the door, Judy began unloading all the groceries onto the counter before ditching the plastic bag in the trash. Once that was orderly, Judy went over to dig out her toiletry bag to take into the bathroom and place on the counter. Coming out of the pleasantly warm bathroom, Judy's ears went up and rotated around to listen for Nick. Her head carefully turned in contrast so that she could take in the visuals of the area. It was exceptionally clean in the apartment due to whatever measures Nick had put the place through.
Judy slowly went over and brushed her paw over one of the guitars as carefully as she dared. The wood-bodied acoustics had more visual soul to it than the immaculate electrics. Scratches from his claws pervaded the pickboard and portions of the fretboard. Dull, but still somewhat recent, smudges could be seen along the neck; what Judy assumed was Nick's blood from his finger pads. There were several stickers on the body of the guitar: but the most prominent was along the edge of the body's curvature, the livery of a flaming fox running along the edge. There was a very prominently displayed playing card near-to and behind the bridge: the diagram featuring a symbol of "III-Up / III-Down" with an intense style of font. She knew enough to see that it was alluding to the Rule of Threes in fox religious culture. It was something that she needed to do more research on.
The sound of the door being politely, but firmly, shut behind Judy kept her heart from jumping into her throat fully. She was snooping, but Nick knew well enough not to give her a heart-attack. The todd feigned a surveying the scene poorly. Nick was giving her an out, though. He seemed to change gears when she remained quiet.
"That was my first one. Though, I think that was obvious enough." He said with a smile, scooping up his phone before heading over and laying back into the couch with a voiding sigh.
Judy slowly walked over to take a seat nearby, turned enough not to strain her neck while focusing on the fox. Nick had certainly held onto a good front because he now looked like he was on Death's door. Both his ears splayed down and outwards while his fur seemed to flatten against his body. Nick's eyes were closed while he breathed slowly. His whole frame seemed to sink into the cushion without a care in the world.
"What's the story behind your emblem?" Judy asked softly, sliding over to lean herself up against him in the hopes that the closeness would recharge the todd.
"Well, bunnies had to have heard of the original story of Karma. I think that, over time, they forgot everything except the part about Karma's wrath. The Firefox form of Karma's when a believer disrespects her and breaks the rules. Like your Pawpaw, they started believing that foxes were 'made by the devil in the deepest pit of Hell'," Nick explained with a soft chuckle. "See, Karma has two forms. The form that she takes is entirely dependent on your conduct in your life. One is that stereotypical angel's aura for when you do right by others. The opposite is that of a vixen Firefox, a hellion coming for your pelt for angering her."
"But, that kind of imagery…" Judy muttered.
"It's the symbolism for me. You are one of only a handful of mammals who has ever seen it. I've never publicly or semi-publicly performed with it. It's there to remind me, now, the cost of crossing Karma. I paid dearly for doing so – every single time – as a conmammal, Fluff. It reminds me to stay in the ladies' good graces." Nick answered quietly.
"Ladies?" She asked in surprise.
Nick's lip pulled back slowly into a wide grin. He gave her a very bleary side-eye through his eyelid after looking over at the rabbit doe.
"Well, by my street-learned accounting, there's Karma. Then, there's you, of course. And, because you're a cute little bunny, I must assume that Serendipity is sneaking around behind the scenes, as well." Nick growled out with a humor-filled tone. "Oddly enough, you embody Karma's traits rather handily for her. Always yanking my tie to straighten me out and, then sweeter than a basket of Hoops Farm blueberries when I've been good… Serendipity keeping you in line as a balance."
Judy's temperature shot through the roof as her eyes following the upward arc. The doe carefully used her paw to rub at her nose to hide her embarrassment. Nick laughed a little before picking up his phone to begin tapping away at one of the apps.
"So, you went shopping. Did Rory sneak up on you, too?" He inquired passively.
"Yes, I did!" Judy said loudly. "You didn't tell me that Dave's girlfriend worked there. I've seen her all the time!"
"Well, that would've given me up. I didn't know you needed to stop in, otherwise I would have told you this morning. Sorry, Carrots." Nick explained with a roll of his shoulders.
"I wanted to ask how they met, though. They seem really well matched." Judy asked quickly, trying to cover her embarrassed huffing.
Judy looked over to find Nick's face contorted in contemplated concern. He was staring off at the wall as his lip was curled up and over his canines. There was a mental argument behind had by the look of the twitching brow and flicking ears. The only portion of his tail that was in-motion was the tip, and only in a measured manner.
"Dave…" Nick said quietly, reforming a calm demeanor. Though, he did not look her way. "Dave was to be the successor of his family's pack when he turned twenty-one. However, a power struggle occurred between the aunts and uncles several years before this could occur. The main portion of that pack supported Dave's claim. But, the remaining factionalism kept the title out of his paws until the NHC. An aunt falsely supported him somewhere between his twenty-first birthday and him being victimized. They ended up forming a majority and it was looking good until Dave was struck with the Nighthowler. The aunt called herself his successor while he was missing and took the Mingan Pack over proper.
"Dave told me that nobody from his family's pack visited while he was in the hospital and when he got out, he was crucified at the council meeting. They couldn't 'trust a ticking timebomb due to the unknown factors of Nighthowler,' they told him. The council voted unanimously to eject him from the pack. All this happened quite a while before I woke up, mind you, because Dave had one of the better successes with the Serum." Nick paused for a moment. "Fluff, there's something that you need to understand about wolves. In this day and age, unless a wolf is blatantly hardwired to the contrary, there's no reason for a wolf to go out on their own. Pack politics have changed and inter-pack marriages, like the monarchy-style of politics, keep packs together.
"Dave Mingan was not a wolf born with a desire to go out on his own. His hardwiring was to remain with his pack. Foxes are predominately solitary, so I can't tell you that I will ever understand the depth of that loss. He tells me that it could be equated to a red fox losing a mate. The depth might be worse due to how much of a family he lost and only offset by their ability to easily find another after the loss of their original mate… Those factors lead to a dark road. With no family or familial ties, the unlikelihood of being taken in by another pack, and even lesser chance of finding a mate – it leads to a very dark place.
"The long-story short is that Rory was walking home when she spotted Dave about to jump off a bridge. She talked him down and they've been close ever since. Rory's been working on getting her family's pack to bring him in. Not that it seems like that will be a problem with them getting on like a house on fire." Nick said, finally smiling a little at the thought of the couple being together.
Judy could not believe what Nick was telling her. It was so fortunate that Dave still had trust in any mammal. The sheep from the case, personal future compromised by her own statements, then being stabbed in the back by his pack. It was astonishing to hear. The anger belayed the desire to cry on behalf of the wolf: whom Judy had not even been formally introduced to. Dave, and all the other members of the group, seemed especially important to Nick. And Nick was important to her, dammit.
"You'll see at the next meet. The pup's an amazing singer. I've seen him go from Pawtera, to BLS, to Hatebreed, to Creed, to LoG in a set without missing a beat or a lyric. I'm glad that Rory strolled into his life in the nick of time." The todd continued heavily. "He needed something good back then because he didn't deserve all that happened to him before."
Nick quietly set his phone down, obviously done with making the usual pizza order for the two and settled back into the couch.
"The food's inbound, Carrots. You're calling the shots on the movies tonight. Pick your poison." He said with a smile.
Judy's poor heart was a sinking and overdriven mess as she considered the bedraggled-looking fox. A soft chuckling brought her back to the present and she immediately smacked her nose, knowing that was twitching rapidly.
"Ooorrrr, pick something that we've already seen a million times and we can talk?" Nick suggested warmly.
"Dumb fox…" Judy muttered in embarrassment, her ears turning discreetly at a sound outside.
Interestingly enough, although he was distracted, Nick's left ear also swiveled towards the front door. After a moment there was a very eager crescendo of knocks coming from the door and a muffled sound of happy giggling. Nick smiled a bit and got up to answer. Judy quickly picked up a movie case and followed closely enough to sit down at the kitchen island again to wait. On her way over, a glint caught her eye from the bedroom door. Squinting a little, she grew perturbed but was quickly drawn to the sound of joy-filled kits. As they were let inside, Judy noticed that it was Jacqueline Martin and her four kits. Judy had never been able to properly meet the other doe's kits, but she had spoken to her once or twice in the past.
Once the door was shut and the small family was brought over to the opposite side of the bar, the outpouring from the four small bunnies was immediate. Their poor mother was trying to keep them quiet while coming around to sit next to Judy, though seemingly opposite of Nick. The plump gray and black doe looked a little nervous as Nick leaned forward against the bar to listen to everybody.
"I apologize, Nicholas. My kits heard an old fox tale and they wanted to ask for your help." Jacqueline explained quietly.
The purest of smiles that Judy had ever seen graced Nick's face. His lips were down to keep from showing his teeth around the nervous female rabbit.
"Yes! Mister Nick! We heard the tale of Robin Hood in school today!" The brown buck said with a smile.
"And, we have a mission for you, Mister Nick. That is, if you choose to accept it." A bold doe stated loudly.
Nick seemed to grow a little sly by this news. He discretely shot a wink to the two older does in the room. "Well, now… Wait a second. Isn't a little early to be approaching the Collective of the Hood when you all see that Officer Judy Hopps is here to help?" He said, throwing his arms out towards Judy as he fell into his element.
"Woah! Wait… What?!"
"Judy Hopps?!"
"Collective of the Hood?!"
"What's that, Mister Nick?!"
The todd started laughing into his sleeve as the kits were torn between the Hero of Zootopia and a seemingly secretive group of foxes somehow related to Robin Hood. Once he recomposed himself and wiped a tear from his eye, he looked over at Judy.
"Carrots, these are Missus Martin's kits. You've got Adam and Amy there, and then the twins Abby and Audrey." Nick introduced them properly, pointing out the twin brown does that were sitting on the table because they were a tad bit shorter than the others. "The twins are the troublemakers, so keep an eye on them, and Adam's outnumbered, and Amy's the ringleader. Kits, this is Miss Judy. She's my partner in the ZPD."
Each kit made their own little faces at Nick, while Amy stuck her tongue out at the todd playfully, and Judy gave them all a polite wave with a warm smile. Not even Jacqueline could hold back a small laugh at the perfect descriptors for her babies.
"Is Miss Judy helping the Collective of the Hood? Is that why she can help us?" Amy questioned, again firm and wanting all the answers.
"No, dummy. You're getting too far ahead of things. What is the Collective, Mister Nick?" Adam berated his sister.
Oh, Serendipity… He's getting smug now. Look at his stupid face, Judy thought as she watched Nick begin to purposefully look thoughtful, rubbing the whiskers on his chin slowly.
"Weeeeell… It's a secret…" He said in wonder, rolling his shoulders a bit in feigned discomfort. "If you told anybody, your mother would find out and she'd have to ground you from desserts. And, who knows what will happen to lil' ol' me…"
The kits whispered furiously amongst each other. Judy could hear well enough that they were considering wanting to know and agreeing amongst each other not to tell anybody so that Mister Nick did not disappear or something. The gray doe discretely slicked her ears back while trying not to grin at them.
"We won't tell anybody. We promise, Mr. Nick." They all said in unison.
"Same goes for you two troublemakers." Nick said, eyeballing the two older does in mock suspicion. Judy let out a guilty laugh into her paw.
"OK… I'll give you the short version because it seems we are in a time crunch," Nick said, standing up straight to pop his digits purposefully. "So, you all probably assumed that all red foxes are related to Robin Hood. He was an apostle of Karma herself, you understand. If you're good and ask your mother nicely, I'll regale you with the entire tale there… When Robin passed on, a small group of Reds came together to form the Collective. The idea was to have the Collective designate one Red as a new Robin Hood in every city or town where foxes resided. All over the globe."
Nick left that hanging on the air while he took on a gallant stance and coughed softly into his paw, peering out through his eyelids discretely to take in the look of awe on all of the little bunnies faces. Their ears were stock straight in the air and their eyes were wide with wonder. Judy turned to hide her happy smile and noticed that even Jacqueline seemed somewhat enthralled by the story.
"I'm calling it now. Mister Nick is the Robin Hood of Zootopia." Audrey said in awe, with Abby's head eagerly nodding in agreement next to her twin sister.
The todd let off an impish laugh and shook his head. "Alas, the Red – standing before you – is not the Robin Hood of Zootopia. But, if you do your research, you'll find that even in locations – with small numbers of red foxes – that there is never fewer than a solid dozen so that the Robin Hood of that location can't be discovered easily. The Robin Hood of each city or town operates autonomously of the others, as well.
"So, to answer your question, Amy… I don't know if she's helping the Robin of Zootopia. But, if she is, I have an obligation to assist her because of her aid to the Collective. She can't tell me directly, though. That means I absolutely will help four little bunnies in their masterful plans." He said firmly, gesturing towards Judy as if she was the mayor herself.
"Well, we heard that you might have the skills needed to get our birthday cards into Miss Tracy's apartment." Amy whispered conspiratorially.
The groan that Jacqueline loosed brought a giggle to Judy's lips because it sounded so bad and stereotypical. But Nick knew that the baby bunny was not implying anything about breaking and entering. They were too innocent for that. They thought there was something magical about the Red that helped him do all his good work in the city. And they looked absolutely convinced that Nick was the Robin of Zootopia.
"Well, Amy…" Nick began, clearing his throat before dropping his tone into the gravel. It made Judy groan quietly this time because she knew where he was going. "I do have a very particular set of skills; skills that I have acquired over a very long career… But I think that it would be wise of Miss Judy helped you out with this."
The bunny kits immediately zeroed in on the doe as she looked over at Nick. Judy found that he was looking at her with a smug grin on his lips and the joyful wonder in his eyes. It seemed as if the todd could read her next thoughts.
You are soooo in trouble, Slick!
You are soooo cute when you're flustered, Carrots… He seemed to counter.
"You see, the Collective leaves all Reds with tools that I think may benefit Miss Judy in her mission. Carrots, if you'd follow me. You kits, go surveil the hallway and make sure that it's clear so that the mission can commence, please." Nick said happily, walking over to the corner of the kitchen and opening a drawer.
Judy hopped down and followed him over as she heard scampering over to the front door. She reached the todd's side to see him rummaging around in the drawer before pulling out a key and pawing it over to her.
"I owe you another one if you make this interesting. Your favorite ice cream parlor, I think, fits this request nicely. Take your time, though, please. I need to speak with Missus Martin." Nick whispered so lowly that Judy was surprised that she even heard him.
Judy only nodded up at Nick before his gait took him back to the kitchen island and near to Jacqueline. The gray doe walked gracefully over to the door and met the eager kits in the hallway. They were looking around dedicatedly before noticing that Judy Hopps was standing behind them with an amused grin on her muzzle. They straightened up and saluted her quickly.
"Ok. You all must close your eyes and ears. The Collective has rules about how Robin Hoods work." Judy said firmly, watching as the kits quickly complied.
She turned one ear back, hoping to catch anything that she could of Nick's conversation, while fiddling with the key in her pocket. There were snippets here and there. She finally could not take it anymore and opened the door as quietly. Turning, she patted the kits heads so that they could head inside. There was a slight nagging in the back of her mind about the legality of heading into another mammal's apartment like this, but it was quieted by Nick's attempt to do something nice for them. She imagined that Tracy would not have a problem with it.
"Pick them on that Tupperware there, OK. Quickly, before she gets back from work." Judy spoke to the kits.
The little bunnies scampered inside while Judy looked back at Nick's partially opened door. Her concern with growing by the second. It had to have been a serious issue, but not enough of the conversation could be heard. The kits hustled right back out of the apartment and Judy waited until they ran back into Nick's apartment before Judy locked up the Tracy's door. When she turned back, she saw the delivery guy coming down the hallway towards her. The doe polite smiled and waved at the teenage jaguar who had been delivering to the area.
"Heya, Lincoln. How are you?" She inquired.
"I'm dandy, Miss Hopps. Another movie night, I take it?" The jaguar mentioned, smiling kindly.
Judy took the boxes from the teen and nodded happily.
"Well, there you go. And, please, thank Mister Wilde for the tip. It helps a lot." Lincoln said with a firm nod.
"I will. Thank you, Lincoln. Be safe out there!" Judy said as he turned and walked back down the hall.
Upon entering Nick's apartment, Judy found the most adorable sight that she'd laid eyes on. All of Jacqueline's kits were wrapped up in a big hug from the red fox. His ears were pinned back so sharply that the inky black tips were overlaid, and his eyes were shut tight, but there was a smile. She brought over the pizza and set it on the island counter quietly. A sudden chuckle brought Judy round quickly to find the group looking at her. Nick, grinning slyly, was staring at her with an extremely playful warmth.
"And now, Special Bunny Squad… There's one more lesson from the Collective. That is to show your gratitude to those who work hard around you." The todd whispered ominously, but purposefully loud enough for Judy to hear. "I have it on good authority that Miss Hopps adores being glomped."
"Nicholas!" She said loudly, just before being bombarded by those small bunny torpedoes that he was secretly orchestrating. "Ack!"
The gray doe could not help but join in with the writhing, giggling kerfluffle that had taken over. They tickled so badly, but also hugged Judy in all the intimate ways that she had missed being away from her family for such long stretches at a time. She could hear Nick and Jacqueline laughing heartily at her predicament. Judy eventually caught them all in her arms and gave them a big hug of gratitude before setting them down on the floor.
"Alright, kits. It looks like Mister Wilde and Miss Hopps were setting up dinner for the evening. We should let them get back to it." Jacqueline finally said, standing up to ruffle the ears of two of her babies. "When we have some time, I'll bring you back to hear more of the story."
"Yay!" The kits all jumped around ecstatically.
"Now, thank Mister Wilde."
"Thank you, Mister Nick! Thank you, Miss Judy!" They all said in unison. "Have a good night!"
"You're more than welcome, little ones. You all have a good night." Nick said politely.
Judy watched as the kits and their mother left, politely waving again, before the door closed. Nick picked up the movie case that Judy had decided on earlier, smiling a little before going over and putting it into the DVD player, and turning on the television. The doe quickly made up two plates for them before bringing it over to the couch. The todd took a seat nearby as the movie began to play; turning up the volume a smidge to listen in. The film was a fantasy piece full of magical things, rolling wildernesses, and it was also a romance of sorts.
"Lincoln wanted me to thank you for the tip." Judy said softly, chewing on a piece of pizza.
"He's a good kit. He's going to go far in life." Nick responded.
"That is true."
They continued to eat their pizza, smiling at parts of the movie as it went on. Once they were finished, Nick policed up the plates and took them to the counter before coming back. He smiled a bit as he waited for her to speak.
"Just know that the jokes aren't being turned off, Fluff." Nick said.
The doe chuckled and rolled her eyes with a nod. Judy watched as Nick took a drink from his glass, slowly taking in the water as he watched the movie.
"Well, let me start by redeeming myself and stating for the record," The todd began, watching the movie with mild interest as he munched on crickets lazily. "Grabbing a red fox's ears isn't a way to proposition him."
Judy groaned in embarrassment as she nibbled on another carrot piece. "What's it all about really then?" She asked.
"It's something that isn't usually seen until an adult had a mate. Same with the tail really. And, of course, with one's parents during kithood. As you know, reds aren't terribly affectionate with anybody outside of those two circles." Nick continued, tone level and just over the sound of the movie, as he leaned forward to lay the plate on the coffee table.
"You have changed so much since I met you." Judy commented fondly.
"Considering how much I hang around you, it could be said that I'm being assimilated…" Nick chuckled, receiving a gentle slap on the shoulder.
"And your conversation with Jacqueline?"
"Way simpler to understand. Tracy's losing tenants. It's bordering on being a problem to pay her own bills and to keep this place up to spec. Jacqueline is in the unfortunate position of being a single-mother whose kits are frightened by my circumstances; even though they know nothing of the source. She can't afford anything better than this place… and, what's lesser is a lot worse. The kits won't be able to go to the same school." The todd said as his paw clenched a bit around his leg. "That is an unacceptable possibility."
Judy's mind slowly churned through everything. Neither of the two took their eyes off the movie and sat in silence for several minutes while Nick allowed Judy to consider her next words. The doe could hear Nick's tail brushing against the couch, but she could not see exactly what emotion was bringing the motion forth.
"So, what is your plan?"
"Tracy offered me a place, but I'd need to go in on it with someone. Depending on how much it is, maybe more than one." Nick explained. "She tells me the place is just down the street; a bit closer to the Precinct even."
"Finnick? Some of the guys?" Surprise tinted Judy's tone without her asking it to.
"Nah. They're hard-up in their own situations and scattered about through the city." Nick said, shaking his head a bit. "Tracy mentioned asking you. But, it's a consideration for another time."
Judy gave Nick a quick side-eye as took another drink of water. The tone had been edged to a degree, but the way Nick's ears were lowered outwardly – at a fraction of an inch – told her that they both knew that she was not done yet. The todd's posture was stiff and the tip of his tail was barely moving. It was not a show of anger or defensive, by nature; it was more of a nervous understanding. The doe decided to take another path.
"What did you say to Tracy about that?" She asked.
And, as if watching two mammals fighting over the wheel of a moving vehicle, Nick pulled back a little with a smile. His ear flicked towards her.
"That there was a lot to take into consideration due to my status as kandidaatti." He said with a laugh. "It's a rather illustrious title that others have bestowed upon me, Miss Hopps."
Judy laughed with Nick, having learned a bit of the red fox's Old-World language over the years. It had been a marvelous thing to learn that despite having never been to the Old-World continents, the foxes learned the tongues of their forefathers. Nick knew Vulpish, from his grandparents' homeland, and Finnick knew French and Afrikaans from his parents, respectively. It was amazing to Judy that they were taught to return to their older culture like that. She didn't ever remember knowing any rabbit, from the Burrows, who knew more than the local English.
"You assume way too much, Slick. I'm just hanging around to make sure that that luxurious tail stays in the cruiser." Judy whispered loudly, using her paw to emphasize the point.
"Ah! You just stay over there, Miss Grabby Paws. I can already hear the sound of pillaging Jawas coming from that end of the couch. Being as short as you are, I suspect you're related and all." Nick commented as he grinned like a fool. "What would be the point anyway?"
The bunny doe curled up as she giggled inwardly, slowly losing control of being able to adequately breathe. "Because Corporal Judy Hopps… always gets… her mammal!" She gasped out, finding her joke way funnier than it probably was. As cliche as it was.
The todd choked on some of his water as he began to laugh with her. Judy noticed that Nick looked extremely impressed despite his own lack of air. The movie was a little past half-over as Judy looked back up and waited. She was absolutely smirking.
"Geez, Carrots. I'm over here blushing like crazy. You know how to make a todd feel special." Nick finally stated, wiping his face and shirt off slowly.
Judy finally let out a low sigh as she looked back over at Nick's bedroom door. The earlier suspicions that she had were on the mark. There were two deadbolts over the door-handle. Unfortunately, having to look past Nick to confirm only caught his attention and that made the todd look over the opposite shoulder to look around. Just barely, she heard a sigh emanate from him, as well.
"Want some more pizza?" He asked, looking back at her.
Judy only shook her head in response.
Slowly, Nick rose off the couch and took his plate to get another. After rustling around in the kitchen, he brought back a couple of cans of their soda along with his original score. After sitting back down and taking a bite, Nick contemplated how to explain it while catching another scene.
"Early on, I didn't know that I was having them. It took about a two-weeks before anybody stepped up to confront me about the noise…"
...
"What the fuck are you talking about, Jason?" Nick asked loudly.
"Wilde, if I have to tell you again to shut up, I'm going to punt you out that fucking window!" Jason shouted, pointing a hearty claw at Nick's face.
Nick balked, though his opposition had the wrong idea as of to why, before lowering his tone.
"Jason… You just threatened a law enforcement officer. That's serious. And, I don't know what you're talking about. And, that's also serious," The todd growled deeply. "But, if you come at me… I will hit you with this baton until you hit the floor. It will take about thirteen-minutes for the paramedics to hit the lobby. And, then, you're going to jail."
This time Nick flinched because the maned lion did take that step forward. Before the red fox could curl the business end of the baton back against his arm, he felt something relatively flexible smack into the back of his skull. He yipped angrily and raised his head to look around. He saw an angry gray blob of squirrel slamming a newspaper into the bridge of Jason's nose.
"You two, my office. Right now." She said evenly.
It took a few minutes to make it down the flights of stairs to the main office. None of them said a word until after the main door shut and Tracy spun around on them.
"Mister Kynes, let me make this clear. The only mammal, in this building, that will go to jail for assault and battery is me. Do I make myself clear?" The squirrel said loudly. "There are rules in your lease agreements outlying conduct, but I shouldn't need to remind you of that. Mister Wilde is a police officer and was not openly challenging you. He doesn't know."
The lion huffed a bit before looking out resolutely. "Yes, Ma'am."
"Now… Nick."
What a wakeup call. That had the todd's attention far quicker than anything the lion had said or the fact that the door had opened and closed behind them. The tone of the landlord's voice told him that it was all true.
"Nicholas." Tracy said firmly.
Everything stood up on his body, every little bit of fur, and it caused him to bare his fangs awkwardly. Embarrassment hit him like a truck. He hadn't felt it this badly since the time Mister Big caught him on that damned rug. There was never even the illusion that there was a mask that Nicholas Wilde wore.
"All of it? How long?" The todd questioned, his ears starting to ring badly. "What?"
Tracy jumped up and grabbed onto the fox's snout to hug him very impolitely. The thing about being a landlord was that if you were going to be justifiably out-of-bounds, you better be so in all aspects. No mammal would be able to call you a hypocrite for covering some points and not others then.
"Easy there, Nick. I'm not going to let anything happen. But, we have some things to talk about, OK?"
...
"I went two different routes with the plan after Tracy moved me into this apartment the following weekend. I set up a camera in the bedroom and I installed locks on both sides of this door. I would record every other night or so and I did so for a couple of months early on – to confirm how bad it was and to watch for it to worsen. All the while, the door would be locked from the inside so that nobody could barge in and attempt to wake me. Those are just a safety precaution."
Nick finished his recollection just as the film started to roll credits. After looking around, he presented Judy with two choices for the next film, one seen and one unseen thus far. The doe pointed at the one that they had seen; not quite done with her inquiries and wanting extra time in case more was thought of. While Nick set everything up, Judy placed her soda can down on the counter.
"And, what about the locks on this side then?" She commented.
"That should be obvious. I have this gray CBASS that homes-in on me and it was obvious that she would show up. Those are for your protection at your discretion." Nick said firmly, hitting play with the remote. "I'd make rules, but I know you well enough to know that you'd ignore them. So, there's a broom there for when you decide to wake me up. That's the only rule to it. Keep your distance. And, don't be afraid to leave if it becomes unbearable."
"Well, you're right about one thing, Slick." Judy said confidently as her eyes tracked over to the todd. He looked back at her contemplatively. "I don't know when to back down."
"Just do me a favor. Don't run me through with that broom when you poke me, Carrots." Nick said, the following chuckle was shallow and low. "You're mean with those paws as it is, y'know."
The laugh, that she had, broke the stillness of the room.
"Don't worry, Slick. I won't take one of those fluffy Doritos off your head while I'm practicing my kung-fu bunny, martial arts skills." She said before throwing a bag of his gummies at him.