The third day into their suspension, Judy woke smelling pancakes. She looked up and saw Nick operating her stove.
"Hey sweetcheeks, how ya' feelin'?" he asked, every bit as cocky as usual.
"Nick, you're cooking pancakes?" she asked dumbfounded.
"Sure am," he replied, "I'm not Deb but I can cook." She raised an eyebrow at that statement.
"Debbie's a famous chef here in the city, popularly known as the Singing Savant," Nick explained, "She always sings while she's cooking, she's talented that way. Gordon Rams got her fired once for singing while she was making a crawfish atoufe, so she took the bowl of the stuff after it was finished and put it in his face before storming out, all the while still singing."
They sat on her bed with plates of pancakes and syrup.
"I love you, Nick," she stated warmly
"I love you too, Carrots," he replied, matching the warmth.
"So what do you have planned for today?" she asked.
"Something that's gonna' be hard for me and possibly you too. But it's something we're gonna' have to get around to sooner or later," he replied.
"I overheard yesterday, I'm sorry. It's about your dad isn't it?" she recounted.
"Yeah," he affirmed sadly.
"It's ok Nick. I'll stay with you, even if your dad doesn't like me. We've come this far together," she consoled.
"Right," he agreed, whiping his face.
After they finished Nick began to clean up the dishes.
"Hey Carrots, why don't you get cleaned up while I take care of the dishes," he suggested.
"Yeah, sounds good. Oh! Don't use the dishwasher, my downstairs neighbors are having problems with the dishwasher leaking," she told him.
"Got it," he replied.
"And we have problems with you and your fox doin' the business all night!" Bucky shouted.
"Ah let 'em be intimate!" Pronk argued.
Which resulted in their usual "shut up" and "no you shut up" argument.
"How do you deal with those two?" Nick asked.
"Bucky and Pronk? You get used to 'em, besides they aren't as bad as my little brothers Nate, Tom, and Joe," she commented.
She headed into the bathroom giving him a wink before heading in. After her shower and he finished cleaning the dishes they headed out to his car. Nick checked it over and though there was a mostly melted ice cream cone on the hood, everything else was normal.
"Who the hell put this ice cream cone on my hood?!" he grumbled.
"Can I help?" Judy asked.
"Get in the glovebox and hand me some napkins," he instructed
As soon as she did she yelped. "N-Nick! Why have you got so much-..." she began.
"Hush! Not so loud about that and where are those napkins!?" he lectured.
She handed him the napkins feeling ashamed. As soon as the car was cleaned they set out.
"Nick, I'm sorry," she apologized.
"Huh? About what?" he asked.
"I didn't mean to y'know," she told him looking away.
"Oh that, don't worry about it. That cash in the glovebox is just a little nest-egg I've been sitting on for a while," he explained.
"Why?" she asked.
"A number of reasons," he answered, "One of which is getting this clunker restored."
The Wild Times amusement park had changed so much over the years but at the same time had also changed so very little. Once it was just built inside a derelict werehouse on the waterfront, now it had expanded to envelope nearly all of Zootopia's old industrial district. Factories, warehouses, and refineries that had been shut down and derelict for years were repaired and converted to house attractions.
"Looks like dad's come a long way," Nick laughed.
"Wild Times, I've heard of this place. The most popular amusement park in Zootopia, I didn't know your family owned it," she stated, her eyes wide.
"I didn't know it grew so much, dad must be proud!" he exclaimed.
They approached the employees' entrance and a rhino guard stopped them. "Employees only," he grunted.
"Nickolas Wilde, I'm here to see John," he told the guard.
"Nicky?" the guard asked, "Little Nicky Wilde! Man, it's been ages since we seen you around!"
The guard did a double-take, scribbled something down on a peice of paper and handed it to him.
"Use the visitor's entrance and hand this to the gatekeeper and don't say a thing," he instructed.
"Thanks, we might be able to catch up later, Willie," Nick commented before leaving.
"Yeah, see ya' Nicky!" he bellowed.
"Who was that?" Judy asked.
"Willie Tusks, he's a friend of the family. A lot of the staff here are either friends of the family or family of friends," he explained.
With that they entered the park, getting VIP passes from the gatekeeper. Inside the gate another old friend, a bear this time, approached. He greeted them with a smile and using sign language told them to follow. Once they arrived at the office the bear cleared out.
"Thanks Grizz," Nick replied patting him on the back, "You hang in there."
"Did I do something to upset him?" Judy asked.
"Huh? Y'mean Grizz? Nah, he's mute. He's never spoke a word, he's a good man at heart though," he explained. Nick took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
"Come in," a voice sounded from the other side.
The two entered the office and saw a grizzled old tod sitting in a faded red armchair.
"Hi dad," Nick greeted.
"Nick, good to see you again son," he replied warmly before going into a coughing fit.
"Dad!" Nick gasped and immediately tried to help.
"I'm ok, those come and go. Just a reminder that I'm an old man," he explained.
The old todd got up from his chair, walked to a liquor rack and poured himself a glass of wine.
"Plum wine?" he offered.
"No thank you sir," Judy replied.
"Sorry dad, I gotta' drive," Nick also declined.
"Fair enough. Name's John Wilde little lady. Doubtless you've heard from my older two how much of a bigot I can be," the old tod introduced.
"Something like that," Judy replied sheepishly.
"Don't take it the wrong way. When our little family started to fall apart I blamed those rotten little brats who muzzled my baby boy. I know now there were other issues under the surface, always are," John explained, "I tried pickin' up the pieces afterwards. Always seemed there was some small-minded mammal in my way, someone who only saw me or my family as foxes."
"What caused you to realize all this?" Judy asked. At that he showed her his office newspaper clippings on the walls.
"A certain little bunny who could," John replied patting her on the shoulder.
"Looks like you have a fan, Carrots," Nick teased.
"Don't think I didn't notice her partner, Nicholas," John laughed.
Judy noticed the embarrassment in her carrer.
"Everyone makes mistakes, one of my biggest was believing for years that prey mammals were the worst this city had to offer," he replied, sensing her distress.
"And mine was this press conference," she sighed.
"Kid, the press are viscious. They'll hound and pressure the answers they want out of someone, especially if they know it's your first time in an interview," he explained.
"It doesn't change what I said. I hurt countless people that day, including someone very important to me. I'm grateful for every single day that he forgave me and let me back in his life," she confessed.
"That's one reason I like you kid, it takes a very mature person to take responsibility," he replied.
"Mr. Wilde, I want you to know that I love Nick with all my heart!" she exclaimed.
He smiled at her. "I know. And it makes me happy beyond words that Nick's found someone who believes in him and loves him so strongly. Don't you worry about what the world says about you two. And don't make one of my mistakes, lettin' something stupid come between you," he explained, "I let my bigotry come between me and my family. My kids turned out for the best in spite of me and all that hatred costed me the woman I love. No one can change the past, but everyone has something they would if they could."
"You're still alive aren't you? I think you should try to reconcile with Lillian," Judy pipped. He turned to look at her. "It really isn't my business though and I'm sorry for being so pushy about it," she apologized.
"Y'know, something about the way you said that makes me believe that I can reconcile with her. Kid, if you believe it's still possible then I'll try. Seems you picked a real winner here, Nicky!" he laughed.
The old tod pulled a tape recorder out of his desk and pushed the play button.
"Are you gonna' be a champ or a chump!? 'Cause quittin's for chumps!" the box half-shouted.
"Grampa Phil's catchphrase," Nick laughed.
"Take it," John told them.
As Nick grabbed it and put it in his pocket a raccoon came in.
"John we have to talk. I just crunched some numbers, we can't afford the cost to restore the Ghost Walker," the raccoon stated.
"Tom, this is my son Nick and his girl, Judy. Say hi kids," he introduced.
"Hi," Tom greeted. Then returned to his paperwork and lecture. "Like I was saying, if we want the old Zoolectric Engineering Incorporated building to add to the park we won't be able to restore the Ghost Walker!" Tom continued.
"Then we'll hold off on expanding, I want the Ghost Walker restored by the end of the year. That coaster was once the crown jewel of this park back when this place first opened. I won't allow for my park to forget it's proud heritage!" he stated boldly.
"Sir, it's time we gave up on it and-..." Tom started.
John stared him in the eyes and pointed to an old portrait directly behind them. "Ask my father if he thinks we should give up," John growled.
"Fine, you've made your point, John," the raccoon sighed before leaving
John sighed and turned his attention back to his son and his girlfriend. "Sorry 'bout Tom kids, he's a good man but he's at times too soft. Anyway, there'll be time enough for us to catch up later, Nicky. For the rest of the day, you and your girl enjoy the park," John stated warmly.
"What about you?" Nick asked.
"I'm a busy man, Nick. Besides at my age a roller coaster would probably cause me to have a heart-attack," John sighed.
"Com'n dad, why not at least give us a brief tour?" Nick asked.
"Alright, alright. I'll at least show ya' the old coaster I was talking to Tom about," the old tod relented.
Before they left the office John grabbed a sign he had sitting around and locked up the office before they headed out. The Ghost Walker was a large white coaster that stood empty and shut down at the back of the old warehouse.
"I've been waitin' years to do this," John admitted. He removed the "condemned" sign from the gate to the coaster and put up the one that was in his office, "reopening soon".
"Is that true?" a tiger behind them asked.
The three turned around to see the tiger and his family.
"DelGato!" Judy exclaimed.
The tiger in question saw them and took on a surprised look. "Judy? Nick? Fancy meetin' you here," he laughed.
"The old tod who runs this place is my old man," Nick explained, "And he happens to be standing right here. Dad this is Anthony DelGato, he works with us on the force."
"Pleased to meet you, . Are you and your family enjoying yourselves?" John asked.
"Yes sir, but I really have to wonder if this old thing is gonna' open up again," Tony replied.
"Oh it is, we just through all the legal proceedings and got the park re-zoned. Now it's a matter of restoring the old girl, she hasn't run in years but it's an exciting thought isn't it?" John affirmed.
"Yeah, I was just a kitten when my old man took me on it. Then when it was over, I met my wife. Who then tossed her lunch on me," the tiger laughed.
The female cheetah next to him wasn't laughing though. "Catherine DelGato," the cheetah introduced.
One by one Judy, Nick, and John introduced themselves.
"And these are my kids, Luke and Cindy. Say hello kids," she introduced.
"Hello," Luke piped.
Cindy on the other hand hid behind her father.
"Don't mind her, she's slow to warm up to new people," Tony explained.
"I know that feeling, I raised four of my own," John replied.
"Well, we'll let you get back to family time. I'll see you guys at the precinct tomorrow," the tiger laughed.
Tony and his family walked away. John smiled after them.
"Some days I wonder why I started this place but then I walk around this place and see families out enjoying it and I remember. This place was started because I wanted to make a park where everyone could forget for even just a day that this world has an ugly side," John sighed.
He turned to look at Nick and Judy with a nostalgic smile. "Don't let this old man slow you kids down, enjoy the park, my treat," he sighed. He started to walk away.
"Dad," Nick started.
"I gotta' get back to the office, Nick. Got lotsa' stuff to do, including call your mother," the old tod stated.
John headed back to his office, a tired but happy old fox.
"It was wrong of me to interfere with his life," Judy commented sadly.
"Don't talk like that, Carrots. He doesn't think that," Nick replied.
"How can you tell?" she asked.
"He would've said so," he answered.
"When we came here today I was expecting to have to argue with him about our relationship," she stated.
"I was too, y'never know what life is gonna' throw at ya', huh?" he agreed.
"I prefer it this way. I just hope my family recieves you as well as your family recieved me," she commented.
The thought of meeting the Hopps Family terrified Nick for reasons that was still unknown to him. He dreaded the thought of leaving in a couple days for Bunnyburrows but still didn't know why exactly, only that he had promised Judy he'd meet her family. As if to interrupt these thoughts he was having, Judy grabbed his wrist and began leading him around the park. Eventually, they held hands instead of her holding his wrist and they walked side by side instead of her leading him. They rode rides, played theme park games, and generally just had a fun time. As he carried her to the car she smiled sleepily at him.
"You don't have to carry me y'know," she commented.
"Maybe, but I want to," he replied.
