I DO NOT OWN ZOOTOPIA NOR THE CHARACTERS ONLY OC'S

*Warning* Gore, drugs, cursing, and later sex-scenes.

I would like to apologize for it taking a hot minute for the update. Some personal problems arose with school and someone in the family getting aggressive cancer so my plate has been full. I don't plan on leaving this story or rushing it. It might take a while for updates but, I plan on finishing it, and there is SO much more to write. Probably 300k words left to write so I hope you enjoy

I felt a soft object tap my nose. I groggily swatted at my nose and it hit nothing. I groaned and turned in my bed. I felt it again and something on my chest. My eyes quickly opened and I grabbed whatever it was by the neck. I heard choking and gasping and when my visions adjusted I quickly let go. Nick fell out of my hands and hit the ground wheezing.

I rubbed my eyes and freaked out, "BLUE WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN HERE!". He was now glaring at me and rubbing his neck and said, "Relax major its me. Just kill me why don't you!". I rubbed my eyes as Judy rushed in by Nick's side and checked him. "Are you okay?!", Judy asked freaking out. "Yes Carrots", Nick replied annoyed.

I felt a little guilty and apologized, "Sorry for choking you Blue. But, why the hell are you in my room?". Nick then replied, "Me and Carrots were going to scare you awake. Looks like the prank turned on us. Heh". Nick said this while rubbing his throat and Judy looked at me with a guilty expression. I just groaned now awake and stretched. I turned to them again and asked, "Could you also inform me about why you're in my house? And how did you get in?".

Judy raised a brow and asked herself, "You really don't remember?". I shook my head no and she sighed getting ready for the explanation, "We all stayed at the bar for a little while longer after you were done flirting with that wolf." She said that with a suggestive grin and I groaned causing her to giggle. She then continued, "You decided to get in a drinking battle with Finnick". I just facepalmed as she explained further, "By then I was recovered by my buzz and watching you. You ended up puking all over the table and stumbling off. I tried to sit you down as you were stumbling through the bar. You knocked people over, flipped tables, and caused about 240$ of collateral damage. Which came out of your wallet". I ran my hand down my face stretching its proportions with a frustrated sigh. "I ended up having to take you home after you tackled a lion down the stairs. You pulled down his pants and whipped his ass with a belt and you kept calling him Michael", she tried to tell me with a straight face. I buried my face in a pillow as Judy and Nick started to laugh really hard.

Judy and Nick were now on the floor laughing hard with tears rolling out of their eyes. I stared at them with an annoyed expression, which didn't help. They finally calmed down choking for breath and wiping tears from their eyes.

"You done yet?", I asked in a monotone voice. Judy and Nick finished their giggles and nodded. I then continued, "Well that is 'funny' and all. But, could you answer my question about the whole apartment thing". Judy collected herself and continued, clearly in a better mood after that laugh, "I had to drag you out, back to the van. That red vixen stayed and waited for you. On our ride to your apartment, things got a little bit too heated in the back and clothes were about to come off. I had to step in between you and the vixen and kicked her out of the van. We made it to your apartment and took you up there. You were still wasted and told us we could stay so, we did".

I noticed I had some new bandages on and turned to Judy to thank her, "Thank you, Cottontail". She nodded and they got up and left to give me some privacy. I decided to get a little payback on Judy and make her embarrassed. Before she could skip around the corner I called her, "Hey Cottontail". She skidded to a stop and poked her head from around the corner. I continued my thought and asked, "You mind bathing me? I am injured after all and need some help. Here let me get ready". I started to teasingly strip but, not that far. She eeped and ran out with a bright red face. I laughed at her expense and took a shower and changed.

I came out in a fresh pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. I came into my living room and glared at Nick. Who was eating cereal with his hind paws propped up on the coffee table, while sitting on my couch. Judy sat next to him playing on her phone. Judy looked a little shaken up and I reassured her, "I was just joking Cotton". She then let out a sigh and looked relieved.

I started to glare at Nick again. He turned from my tv that was blaring full-blast some cartoons and he started to look at me. He opened his mouth with cereal spilling out onto my couch, "What?". I just grumbled and sat down on the chair, too tired to do anything. I collapsed in the chair and watched the screen. "What are you watching Blue?", I asked with a raised brow. He glanced toward me and replied with a yawn, "Just watching 'Beaver and Butthead'". I just rolled my eyes before closing them. I felt like shit.

I lay there while I heard Nick chuckled at the jokes and while Judy scolded him for being immature. I finally turned to them and asked, "What time is it?". Judy pulled up her phone and answered, "It is ... 3:40 A.M.". I got annoyed and asked, "Then why the hell am I awake right now?". "We are about to leave for work and had to make sure you're ready for your "date", lover boy", she answered teasingly.

My memory came back and I started to freak out, "SHIT! IT'S TODAY!". I totally forgot about that. Judy chuckled and said, "No worries, we called her". "Of course you did. What did you say?", I groaned. She chuckled reassuringly and replied, "It's fine. I made sure Slick couldn't put his two cents in. She told me she had a day off since some drunken mammal recked the bar and they had to replace things". I sighed, as she snorted. She then continued, "She is coming by at 8:00 A.M.".

I shot up off the chair and quickly went to my room. I found my phone and opened it up. I checked my call logs and sure enough, there was Winter now programmed in my phone listed in my call history.

I opened a message from her which read 'I will be at your apartment building around 8 am :)'.

I relaxed knowing I had five more hours but, I still straight away went to my bathroom to take care of my hair and teeth. I put on some nicer clothes which were just some jeans and a black muscle shirt. I made sure to wear something tight around my upper body to show off to her. I wasn't any big muscle dude but, I had a six-pack and a good amount of arm muscle. I also had a fair amount of muscle on my chest and shoulders. I use to be shredded in my early days but, work consumed me and some of my muscles lost definition.

I walked back out to the living room and thankfully, Nick was cleaning up his mess. Judy caught sight of me and blushed at my clothing. She then raised her bow and asked, "Are you really trying to impress her this much?". I just shrugged and responded, "It has been years since I've been interested in someone. Don't want to blow it this time around". Nick stopped what he was doing and gave me a thoughtful look. Judy just hummed in response before turning to her phone once more. Nick walked passed to me and entered my hallway. He gestured for me to follow him.

I was a bit confused but, did. He stopped in front of my bedroom and produced a small bottle. It was red and titled 'Irresistibly Savage'. I raised an eyebrow and he elaborated, "You want to impress a female. Wear some of this. It is a smell they can pick up and they absolutely love it". I was surprised by the gesture and thanked him. It was a little off though, why did he care about my love life? He looked conflicted after what I told Judy. I asked, "That's nice and all Blue but, why did you care?". His eyes went wide and he tried to play it off. He began to ramble, "Uu-uh-uh just ... helping a friend in need ... ya know". He briskly walked back to the living room leaving me confused. I then thought about it. He liked Judy and basically before she came along he was a loner. I pieced the two together and it dawned on me.

I chuckled amused and returned to the living room after applying some of the spray. Nick was back to cleaning up and Judy was polishing her badge with a focused face. She is too much of a perfectionist.

I walked past her to sit on the couch and she stopped. She turned towards me and her nose started to twitch. She went back to polishing her badge but, kept unintentionally sniffing me. I watched amused as she scooted closer to smell me and tried to play it off. "Something wrong Cottontail?", I asked teasingly. This knocked her out of her stupor and she blushed. Her face shone bright red and she rushed to the other end of the couch. She nodded no and chuckled awkwardly, simultaneously rubbing her arm.

I looked at Nick with a bewildered face. Damn, this stuff really works! He nodded and winked at me, then adjusted his suit. They both finished their appearance in comfortable silence as I just scrolled through my phone. Judy finished and checked her phone. Her eyes widened and she exclaimed, "Sweet cheese n' crackers, we are about to be late!". Nick and Judy said their goodbyes and rushed out the door. Judy took one long whiff of me before leaving, much to my amusement.

A few minutes had passed and I am just bored as hell. At least yesterday I was tired and slept most of the day away. I still feel like shit and my chest burns. I really have to find something to do around here. I then had an idea. To make the date longer, I can ask Winter to go shopping with me. I need to find a few things to do while I am bored and make the house less bland. She would probably do a good job at helping me, she is one of the girly types anyway.

I rose from my chair and sauntered to my room. Under my mattress, I hid all of my checks and have about 2,000$ saved up. To be honest, all this hand out shit is starting to annoy me. It makes me feel rich and snotty, I have barely worked for anything I owned. I sighed and grabbed about 700$ to last me the boring month.

After I grabbed the money I collapsed on the couch. I picked up the remote and shifted through the channels. I changed between things such as ZNN, Fox News, Stranger Fangs, Indiana Bones, and Ferret Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone. I ended up just getting bored and cracked out my guns.

I passed a good amount of time inspecting my equipment. I oiled them, cleaned them, and repaired any damages. I passed two hours easily and my equipment looked good as new. I slid my scope off and wrapped my guns back in a soft cloth. I just left my guns on the table and caught a quick nap which passed about two hours again. I woke up and used the restroom also making myself more presentable. My phone read 7:56 a.m. and I closed up shop and headed out. I made my way down the elevator and passed the front desk. There was a young doe on the day shift typing away with her hooves. I got a boost in confidence when she stopped and sniffed towards my direction with a goofy looking expression.

This stuff Blue gave me is fucking awesome!

I made it to the front of the building and waited out front. I leaned up against the wall with crossed arms and just enjoyed the city atmosphere. It was enjoyable if you forget the weird stares and pictures being taken of you. I can't remember the last time I had done something social, forgetting Nick and Judy of course.

Soon a smile came to my face as Winter approached. I tried to get the goofy grin off my face as I looked her up and down. She wore some tight grey sweat-pants that really outlined her ass. She wore a simple form-fitting grey t-shirt with a black leather jacket of her own, overshadowing it. To put it in plain English, she was hot.

She eyed me up and down as well. She stared at my muscles and her gaze examined my figure. I watched a smile come to her face and her tail gently begin to wag. She came closer and her nose started to twitch. Her expression got even goofier as she began to basically inhale my scent as she approached. I said the first line, "What's up Winter". She nodded and replied kind of bashfully, "Hey Nathan".

She stopped in front of me and awkward silence began. Shit, I have to fix this. I broke the silence and said, "I heard you want to show me around Zootopia". Her face quickly lit up and she nodded. "You are really going to like it here, considering you said you only have seen Savannah Central and Tundra Town". I nodded and gestured before saying, "Lead the way". I quickly began to join her side and we walked. The conversation started really well and we hit it off. We talked about everything and anything.

Her company actually made my walk comfortable. I was so focused on the conversation for once I didn't pay attention to the stares and nasty comments.

She was now laughing heartily at my childhood story. She giggled in between words and wiped a tear from her eye before asking, "Did that really happen?". I put my hands up and nodded, "On my life". She finished out her laughs and caught her breath.

I had told her of a story that was funny but, I hated it.

Flashback

I took a swig of beer and broke the bottle. I stumbled drunkenly through the mall with Kyle, not too far behind. Kyle was my best friend at the time. He was a scrawny kid with matted black hair and a typical punk-ass attitude. We were only 15 at the time and getting drunk. We soon approached a mall Santa. He stood in front of a giant Christmas tree about 20 feet high. A frown grew on Kyle's face and he drunkenly slurred, "Y-You seeeeee tha-th..at fat fuck-k. He didn't g-get me a ... BB gun when I was ... I done forgot". He drunkenly stormed up angrily to the unsuspecting mall Santa and flipped him off. There were no kids over there and the mall Santa pulled his beard down, "Hey dude, what the fuck is the problem". Kyle then said, "Wheres my gun you ... fuck". The stranger snorted and turned his back, "Whatever kid".

Kyle growled and turned around walking off. I drunkenly stumbled after him and tried to stay upright myself. Then Kyle turned around. He stared down the Santa and with a cry, stormed towards him. I watched in disbelief as he tackled the Santa into the tree. I watched as my friend dove on him and the stranger shout in surprise getting sent into the tree. They hit the tree and the whole thing started to tip. I watched frozen as it fell and took the entrance off a 'Panda Express'. Sparks flew everywhere and it ripped all the lights off of the ceiling. People were screaming and running while Kyle continued to pound on the Santa. I stumbled off and hid in a 'Victoria's Secret'. The cops found me asleep snuggled up with a mannequin.

This little incident got me charged with underage drinking and him a ban from the mall. He also got smacked with assault and vandalism. Most of the money to pay for these fines came out of my wallet because I owed him a lot of IOUs.

Flashback Ends

I watched in amusement as Winter snorted at the mannequin part. She calmed down and I asked her, "Any funny stories from your childhood?". She nodded her head no and answered, "Nope. I was the quiet and bookworm type. I always kept my nose clean and good grades". I raised a brow and commented, "Ah, you were the well-behaved kid". She nodded before commenting, "Unlike my sister. She was a handful". I chuckled at the stereotypical statement and asked, "Is that so?". "Yep. She was always sleeping around, partying, joy riding, and just doing dumb stuff". I nodded, personally, I never had a sibling but I knew people who had similar stories.

She led me to a bus stop and we paused to wait for a bus. "Where we going?", I asked turning towards her. She smirked playfully, "It's a surprise". I commented jokingly, "Should I be concerned for my safety? You know, the quiet ones are the most dangerous". She rolled her eyes and smacked my shoulder playfully, "No smartass. But, you will like it". We stood in companionable silence enjoying the city noise.

The peaceful atmosphere was ruined when my chest started to burn. I groaned and quickly grabbed my bottle out of my pocket. The pain started to sear and I grunted while my shaky hands screwed open the bottle. The pills bounced around and made a rattling noise as I popped one. I quickly swallowed it and sat down with a sigh.

Winter's eyes got big and she grabbed her phone. "You okay! Do I need to call an ambulance?!", she exclaimed looking very frightened. I was touched but, waved away her worries, "Nothing. Just an injury that is healing currently". She came over to me sitting next to me. She asked worriedly, "What happened?". "Well, on duty I was shot in the chest multiple times and died. They brought me back with a defibrillator and I was lucky to survive". Winter gave me a heartbroken look and I quickly tried to cheer her up, "It's fine. I will heal back nicely in a month". She nodded taking in a breath, looking way calmer. I noticed she sat closer to me and started to play on her phone, to play it off.

I once again was touched but, left out the 'get plenty of rest' part. I wanted to go with her and didn't want to ruin it. Soon the pain subsided and I relaxed into the metal bench. A few minutes of awkward silence later the bus pulled in. I loaded into the bus with Winter and sat next to her on a seat. It was really crammed tightly with mammals and it was awkward. Not between me and Winter, actually, it was between us and the other mammals. The rest of the bus stared at me and took out their phones to record. I just sighed and closed my eyes laying back into my seat.

Winter was sick of the mammals and let out a low growl in her throat. This shocked me and the rest of the mammals. Everyone on the bus took the hint. The attention was still on me but, they were not blatant about showing it. I gave her an appreciative smile and she nodded.

We drove around for a while and I stared at the ground. Everybody gave me their full and undivided attention, not such a good space to conversate with Winter. She looked very annoyed and tried to look threatening. I have to say it is funny to see her try to look scary and it looks cuter than anything. I'm going to keep that to myself though.

We approached a long tunnel and the bus got pretty dark. I glanced up and thought we were going to Tundra Town. My breath hitched and my jaw dropped as we exited in a jungle. Trees stood tall as skyscrapers and large bodies of water shimmered under us. Fake rain dripped down the canopy while god rays were spread abroad shining light from the heavens on the dark canopy floor. It smelt like wood and rain, a comforting smell that left you in peace. I couldn't utter a word as I watched the stunning scenery pass by me.

Winter watched with a smug look and a slightly wagging tail, clearly pleased with herself. I just couldn't say anything as we passed by a giant waterfall cascading down a hill of majestic proportions. I licked my dry lips and commented, "Wow! Where are w-". Winter cut me off with a smug grin, "In the rainforest district, in Tujunga". I just nodded and watched the smuggest smirk plaster itself on her muzzle. Damn, Blue has some competition. Canines have a knack for shit-eating grins.

I just stared out the window until we pulled into a small flat area. It was supported by literal branches suspended in the air and cluttered with shops. I quickly got off with Winter in tow. I stepped out onto the soft wet bark and inhaled the scent of the district and its humid air. I turned to winter and commented, "Man, This place smells nice". I saw Winter inhaling the scent and she hummed in agreement. I patted myself on the back when I noticed she was smelling me and commenting.

I looked around the small cluster of 'mom and pop shops' and kiosks. Mammals had food stands with seducing aromas that would lead even the most righteous, into temptation. The streets or er ... branches? Were packed tightly with mammals of all different kinds. Some wore coats and some sported umbrellas to keep from getting wet. I noticed most mammals were feline, particularly predatorial feline. I saw some other mammals in the mix, most bodies suited for the jungle. There was really no vehicles, just bikes, and little tuk-tuks. They however moved slower than a sloth due to the crowds that accumulated the streets.

Winter gestured for me to follow her and I did. We walked through small paths packed tightly with other mammals weaving in and out through a settlement of tents. I watched in wonder at the different produce and items being sold. I saw jewelry, instruments, carpets, clothing, souvenirs, food, and other artifacts. Everybody seemed skilled at their craft and everything appeared to be of high quality and value. I started the conversation as we padded through the branches with a satisfying squishing noise of each step. "This place is amazing!", I exclaimed.

Winter nodded and agreed, "Yep, this was my favorite place as a child. Not very fun sometimes though". I cast her a puzzled look and she clarified, "I am an artic wolf. We are suited for more cold temperatures and it gets rather hot sometimes". I nodded understanding and remembered I had money on me. "Wanna go do some light shopping?", I asked out of nowhere. She looked at me surprised and I jokingly pulled my wad of cash from behind her ears. Her eyes bulged at the sight, "Woah. Where did you make that kind of money". I smugly answered, "Oh, you know. Endangered Species Act. I brought some along to buy some stuff to keep me interested on my work leave. Also, to decorate my bland apartment". She then got excited and said, "Well, you have come to the right person. I can get you the lowest prices and the highest quality". "You would make a good saleswoman", I commented.

She rolled her eyes playfully and led me around. "So, what were you planning on grabbing", she asks me turning around. I thought for a second and answered, "Something to keep me entertained". She nodded and asked, "You a gamer?". "Of course", I answered. I mean I am not that uncultured.

She then announced proudly, "I know just the right place to go". I followed her through the noisome crowd and spotted her entering a small wooden building. It was a small hut with green trim and a small sign that read 'Benny's Game Emporium'. I arrived at the entrance in hot pursuit and pushed the dangling beads out of the way. Surprisingly the store looked very nice and had a cozy feel. It was of course full of games and consoles, but other things too. Kind of like a 'GameStop'. Without a shitty return policy.

I saw Winter waiting at the counter patiently. I then saw a tall tiger step out from behind another door frame of beads. Damn, he was tall! Had to at least be 9 feet!

He was broad shaped but, no muscle. I could tell he was elderly and had a lot of gray fur around his muzzle and his face. He had stereotypical feline eyes that were yellow orangish kind of. Like amber, but not quite. He moved with a slight limp and had bad posture. His smile grew on his old face and he exclaimed, "Winter!". Winter started to wag her tail and she tackled him into a hug. He withdrew a few seconds later and commented, "Almost didn't notice you. You've grown up". She giggled and commented, "Yep".

I arrived next to her and he eyed me curiously. Winter introduced me with a wave of her paw, "This is my friend Nathan". He stretched forth his paw and I shook it. It was rough but old and brittle at the same time, a weird combination. He held my hand a second longer and studied it. I was a bit uncomfortable and after his little examination, he let my hand fall to my side. He rubbed his chin and asked, "What kind of species are you? I've never seen one like yourself in all my 76 years". I awkwardly answered, "Well, I am a human". He repeated human softly and looked thoughtful while nodding.

He stood there a few seconds before stating, "It is nice to see you Winter, and meet you Nathan, but I assume you two are here for something". Winter nodded and answered for me, "He was looking for a console maybe a few games". He nodded and pulled something from behind the counter. He produced a black box with a black controller. "This is a 'Pawstation 4 Pro' it has better texture qualities and higher frame rates than a standard Pawstation. I nodded and saw a small poster with ... it looked like a wifi router. "What's that?", I asked curiously pointing towards it.

He followed my finger and landed on the poster. He then answered with a chuckle, "That's the 'Pawstation 5'. It is the newest one that just came out. I would sell one too ya but, they are sold out and it will be a month or two before I can restock". I nodded and decided to grab the Pawstation 4, "I'll take it". He nodded and asked me, "Anything else you want?". I then remembered I have to have games in order to play. "I'll look around", I answered. He gave me a curt nod and stood patiently fiddling with his claws.

Me and Winter took a look around the store. I was currently looking through a bin and she came up to me. I glanced up and saw two games in her hand. She then stated, "Here are two games you might like. 'Mortal Wombat' and 'Battlefur 4' both really good games". I nodded and commented, "Didn't take you for a gamer". She snarkily but playfully answered back, "Didn't take you for a metal player". I just chuckled and responded, "Touche".

We made our way to the front and began to check out. He held both game cases in his hands and commented, "Ah. Two good games, your girlfriend has a good taste". I just cleared my throat awkwardly and Winter blushed. I noticed how she didn't correct him and that stroked my damn ego some more.

We walked out and I only paid about 243$ so I still have some money on my hands. I had my bag of things in my hand as we continued to look through the little tent settlement. A guitar store caught my eye and we entered. It had everything from acoustics to electric guitars. I saw amps and even some drum kits in here.

I looked around and a 'Solar A1.7' caught my eye. It was beautiful, it was emerald green with an interesting body that looked futuristic. I pulled out a stool and plugged it up into the amp. I had no pick on me so I had to do some fingerstyle. I played a few random licks and damn, this guitar sounded heavenly. I looked at the price of 150$ and took it. I found a young male lynx looked about in his 20's reading a magazine behind the front desk. I cleared my throat and he pulled his magazine down. His eyes widened and he stated aloud, "Wow! You're that creature that fell out of the sky!". I just rolled my eyes and nodded.

He pulled out a phone and took a few snaps and I had no time to react. He then quickly apologized, "Sorry, my friends wouldn't believe me and I need the likes". I grumbled as I watched him probably send it everywhere and put in a good word for his store. Businessmen never change. After a moment he pocketed his phone and leaned on the desk. "That all you want?", he asked. "No", I answered a bit annoyed.

Sometime later I left with a guitar, shoulder strap, bag of picks, effects box, and amp. I had a lot to carry but, I wasn't gonna have Winter carry anything. I had about 234$ left. Me and Winter were in such deep conversation we never tracked the time. It was already dark outside as we padded through the still crowded branches. I saw a small boat sitting on the water and I could see Winter shot it a glance. She must've known the place. We were both hungry so I offered, "Hey Winter, want to grab a bite to eat over there?". She broke out into a grin and her tail started to wag.

She quickly led me to the front of the boat and I examined it. It was an old white boat but, really big. It had dark blue trim and chrome white railings. On the side was a crudely painted 'Mariana'. She caught my glance and reassured me, "Trust me their food is amazing!". She quickly dragged me up the ramp onto a small deck. I saw many mammals sitting peacefully amongst small wooden dining sets enjoying their meal. It was an Italian restaurant, I could tell from the smell and what mammals were eating.

We walked into a small little boat entrance into a small little room. It had a desk and a friendly male pig to man it. Winter walked up and his attention turned to us. He smiled at Winter and gave me a distrustful sigh of disgust. I tried to keep my smile on to seem non-threatening and succeeded thankfully from not throttling him and turning him into bacon. I then asked, "Table for two please". He nodded and snapped his hooves, a black leopard came out with two menus leading us to a seat. We followed him to a small wooden table lit with a candle close to the edge of the ship. I whistled when I saw the view of the shimmering lake with Downtown Zootopia rising above it casting a reflection.

Winter was a bit embarrassed with the romantic mood and sat there reading her menu. I decided to pick up mine and skim through. I ended up just picking spaghetti with some soda to drink. I layed my menu down in front of her and pointed to the spaghetti, "This any good?". She nodded yes and answered, "Actually, that was my favorite as a little pup. I thought it was better than my mom's cooking". I nodded as she continued to suggest things for me. I just watched her with a dumb grin instead of paying attention to anything she was saying.

A goat waiter cut in and asked, "What would you like to drink?". I ordered a soda and Winter just got some water. Before he could leave Winter stopped him and said, "We are ready to order as well". He nodded and pulled his notepad back out. Me and Winter ordered the same thing this time and he quickly scribbled this all down. We gave him our thanks as he bowed and left towards the kitchen.

I leaned back into my chair enjoying the comfortable scenery and relaxed. The air was a bit cool now and the bustle in the streets calmed down. "It is pretty relaxing out here", I commented. Winter nodded and gave me one of her own, "Yep, when I was in college I studied here. It actually allowed me to pass a few classes". I nodded but asked, "Why did you ever give up on nursing?". She just shrugged and said, "Well, I just got bored of it. It was a dream when I was young but, I started to not really enjoy it. If I wanted to go into the medical field I would be a doctor or something more". She then asked, "What would you do with your life if you never joined the military?".

I was taken aback because I never really thought of this myself. I rubbed my chin in thought and finally deduced, "Probably a minimum wage worker". She snorted and asked, "Really?". I just shrugged and answered, "Well, I had nothing to interest me. I plan on keeping this cop job I have".

The plates came back and ended our little conversation for the time being. It smelt amazing and my plate looked amazing as well. It was a mound of spaghetti that looked as if it was a 5-star meal. I saw various spices and expensive herbs in my food. I turned to winter and stated, "I didn't know it was that nice of a restaurant". She nodded with a full mouth and proceeded to chew and swallow, "Best there is in my opinion". I picked up my fork and twisted some on my fork before taking a bite.

When I did the flavors burst on my tongue and I quickly chewed and swallowed. It took my hardest to not devour it and it looked as if Winter had the same problem. We enjoyed our meal in silence and I commented, "Best damn spaghetti ever". She hummed in agreement as I cracked open a soda and took a sip. I enjoyed the first sip because it always feels refreshing and cold.

We continued to conversate and enjoy our meal as the night went on. We ended up finishing around 8:00 A.M. with full stomachs. We walked through the slowly emptying streets with pleasure. Winter yawned and said, "Well, let's get going". I nodded and followed her to the bus station. We sat down on the old, wet, and rickety bench and relaxed. I turned to her and said, "This was the best night here in Zootopia, thank you, Winter". She nodded bashfully and her ears turned a slight pink.

I heard a whistle and some cackling. Me and Winter's eyes shot up in alarm as a group of mammals approached us. There were four tigers, very big tigers. They had a nasty grin on their face and the biggest one commented in a deep voice, "Look what we have here boys. We have a freak and some tail". I was bored and just glanced over to Winter. She looked petrified and scared.

Personally, I was originally going to just ignore them. When I saw Winter's face a wave of anger released in me I couldn't explain. I growled like an animal myself and threw off my jacket. I stood up and got face to face with the tiger who said that. The rest of the group went wide-eyed and were surprised. Even the big one was taken aback, I simply turned and looked at Winter. "Call the police", I said calmly and she gulped taking out her phone. I cracked my knuckles and the tiger growled in my face, "What are you going to do freak?". "This", I quickly replied and headbutted him straight in the nose.

I heard a loud crack and a pained mewl. He fell back holding his nose. He then looked up with eyes burning with hatred, "You are going to pay for that!". I flipped him off and commented, "Come get some asswipe". He growled standing up and unsheathed his claws. I put my fist up and in my boxing stance. He took the initiative and growled before swiping at me.

I ducked and did a backward roll to my feet. He raised a brow and grinned stating, "Ah, the freak knows what he's doing. This should make it interesting". He got ready again and tried a quick succession of swipes. I narrowly dodged each one and landed a snap kick into his kidney. He groaned and fell to the ground holding his damaged artery. He had one arm outstretched and his elbow pointing up. I quickly stomped and he screamed holding his now broken in two arm.

The rest of the group were terrified. They were frozen until a fat one spoke up, "YOU MOTHERFUCKER! COME ON GUYS LET'S GET THIS HAIRLESS SON OF A BITCH!". They all started to growl and I just smirked at them.

The fat one lunged through the air at me and I just side-stepped. I saw him skid to a stop and pull his claws out. The rest had claws out and I know I couldn't fight off that many. My pride would have made me but, I have Winter to protect. I just pulled out my gun and took aim. I shot the tiger in the shoulder and he collapsed. The rest quickly scurried away with shrieks of terror. The shot tiger layed on the ground and was holding his shoulder groaning and hyperventilating.

I quickly spotted Winter cowering behind a car. I slowly approached a wide-eyed and shook winter. She stood there terrified and very disheveled. She dove into my chest and dug her head in it hugging me. It felt like electric currents were going through my body but, I ignored them and hugged the shaking Winter. I tried to console her and I whispered, "Everything's okay, I took them out and everybody is fine". My heart wrenched for the first time in years when I started to hear her cry. I didn't know what to do but, I petted her head and held her tighter. I heard her sobbing and felt my t-shirt getting wet. My chest started to burn as I patted her.

I remember all the moving I did in that scuffle and realized, fuck. Winter lifted up her head and my heart broke when I saw it. The normally happy and vibrant face was now matted with tears and looked awful, emotionally speaking.

She was going to say something but, police sirens cut us off. I saw a familiar cruiser speed around the corner to stop. A worried Nick and Judy hopped out of the car and ran towards us fast. Judy looked terrified and Nick did too, well, how much his mask would allow showing anyway.

They jogged up to us while panting. When they reached us Judy started to question us, "Are you okay? What happened?". I gestured to the tiger on the ground and Judy's eyes went wide. She quickly ran to the Tiger and put pressure on his wound. She whipped out her radio and exclaimed, "This is Officer Hopps! I need an EMS for an injured suspect, we are on Willow Bay, Rainforest District". Clawhauser crackled over the radio, "10-4 Officer Hopps! An EMS and two additional units from Precinct 3 are on route". Judy quickly replied, "10-4".

During this exchange, the tiger kept groaning and holding his shoulder. I shot him in a place where he would not be fatally injured nor will he have heavy blood loss. Nick approached me and asked, "What did he do to deserve that one?". I looked at him funnily before replying, "Well Blue, he and a group of more cats threatened to kill me and sexually assault Winter". His eyes went wide, he probably thought this was some sort of petty squabble. He licked his dry lips and nodded. Winter had now clung herself to my side with a hurt expression and distant look.

I heard sirens faintly growing closer. I remembered my conversation with Bogo and this would piss him off. Yes, I was defending myself and Winter but, I have caused enough trouble already.

I saw Nick and Judy helping the down suspect. They had their backs turned and I decided to high-tail it out of there. I saw a blue city tour bus with a LED sign pull in slowly to the bus stop. All the passengers of the said bus began to stare out the windows at the scene before them. I had an idea and I led Winter to the bus. After stepping on I saw an old grumpy porcupine smoking a cigar. I got on and handed him money for a ride and he grunted in response. Although, before I went to sit down I leaned and whispered in his ear, "Let's get out of here and fast. I left an extra 50$ in there for your pocket". He winked at me and sped off as I went to sit down.

Winter gave me a funny look. "What?", I asked. "I thought we were supposed to be questioned", she stated confusedly. She stared at me blankly then she must have remembered the whole Bogo incident. "Ohhhh", she stated in a sing-song voice in sudden understanding while nodding her head slowly tilting it. I just nodded and she returned it. She looked still distant and shaken up. I raised a brow but, decided to scoot closer to try and comfort her. She took this kind gesture with a smile and leaned on me.

The lights of the city slowly made shadows dance throughout the bus. It was rather empty and dark in the bus only with a few nocturnal creatures crowding its seats. Winter was snuggled into my side and I felt at peace. For once, my military habits went away and I didn't bother to watch for danger or stay on high alert. I enjoyed this luxury of peace and relaxed into my seat. The city noise, the hum of the bus engine, and the electricity from Winter slowly began to lull me to sleep.

I almost fell asleep until a white paw shook me awake and I grunted. Winter looked at me and tried to lighten her own mood, "Wake up sleepyhead". I just blinked dumbly until I got sight of the bus stop a few blocks from my hotel. I got up stretching my back and my chest heaved in pain. I grunted once more and tried to play it off but, Winter might have caught that one. I followed Winter off the bus and nodded towards the porcupine which nodded back in a mutual manner.

We trekked back to my apartment in relative silence. Winter seemed a bit more cheery but, still wore a frown. I was perplexed but, didn't have the guts to ask. Huh, isn't that funny? I can be a stupid ass and jump off a cliff but, can't ask a girl what's wrong.

We made our way back to the apartment building and stopped in front of the towering building. We turned towards each other awkwardly. "Well...", I trailed off nervously. "Well", she also stated quite bashfully. My chest started to burn and it was in a LOT of pain. I quickly ripped my jacket off and figured out why. My shirt was soaked in blood and my stitches felt torn. Well, no wonder it burns, damn!

Winter was shocked and rushed over to me frantically. "ARE YOU OKAY!", she shouted clearly worried. I tried to lie through my teeth, "Fine". She furrowed her brow and spoke in a slightly angry but more so worried voice, "What do you mean fine! This is BAD not FINE!". I simply just put up my hands and repeated, "I am fine". She pulled out her phone once more and stated things how it was, "No. I am going to call the hospital". I quickly shot back, "I am not going to the hospital".

She sighed and pleaded, "Just let me have a look at it". I sighed and gave in, "Ok, follow me". She nodded and we began our adventure to my room. It took a minute to get to my room but, we fared. It took longer than usual because a Rhino kid decided to push every button in the elevator. Let me tell you, Winter gave their parent a piece of her mind. We had finally arrived at my apartment and I opened it with my key.

I threw open the door and my apartment was shrouded in darkness. It was like this until I uncovered the veil of shadows with a flick of a switch. Winter stared at my apartment dumbfoundedly, "You really own this?!". I just nodded. She walked in and admired everything about it. She caught sight of my guns and stared at them curiously but, didn't ask. I watched kind of nervous as she observed my apartment in detail. Down to the very inches.

She looked at me and smiled before commenting, "Nice apartment". I nodded thanks and I sat down on the couch. She sat next to me and immediately demanded, "Let me see". I proceeded to take off my blood-soaked shirt. Her face flushed a deep red and I swear I saw her drool some. She was quickly knocked out of her stupor and me my embarrassment when we beheld the opened wound gushing blood. She shrieked, "Oh no! Hold on!". She quickly found my bathroom and I heard ruffling around. She came back with alcohol and a rag while proceeding to try and clean my open wound. She kept trying in vain to stop the blood and much to my pain and discomfort.

She finally stopped and facepalmed, "It will have to be stitched back up". I got very annoyed and stared at my open wound. I then remember quick field treatment in the military and decided to do something dangerous and painful. I took out my zippo and began to slightly touch the flame to my exposed flesh. I gasped in pain and almost shed a tear to be honest with you because of the unbearable burning. I felt my flesh burn and slowly melt together to stop the bleeding and close up. Winter just stared dumbfoundedly.

It was silent for a minute until she went back to inspect the wound and muttered, "You're impossible". She looked at it closely before sighing, "Well, it is closed. It may have not been the smartest treatment but, it will work". I nodded and readjusted myself to get comfortable on my couch and relaxed into the cushion. Winter with a thoughtful expression sat next to me for a minute or two. She turned and looked at me for a minute and enveloped me in a hug. I was confused but returned it regardless.

She pulled her head away and thanked me, "Thank you, for defending me. Thank you, I owe you big time". She hugged me again and I just shrugged whilst gritting my teeth. I gritted my teeth due to her touching my chest but, I didn't want to ruin the moment. She pulled away and gave me a small smile in which I returned.

"You owe me huh?", I asked. She nodded and I had an idea. "If you want to pay me back, be honest with me. What got you so upset earlier?", I asked once more. She gave me a shocked expression showing she wasn't expecting this question but gulped and nodded.

She took a shaky breath and I saw she had a hard time telling me. I pulled her closer and she gave me a small smile of appreciation and began.

"When I was 12 just a young pup, I was walking out of the library from studying. It was getting dark and I knew my mom would be worried about me. I took my books and my bag and began my way home. I was currently in the Rainforest district where it gets darker quicker and I was pretty far from home. When I was a block down from the bus-stop to save time I took a shortcut through an alleyway", she stopped her explanation half-way and began to tear up. I saw that I overstepped my boundaries and quickly cut in, "You don't have to tell me I am so sorr-". She then quickly cut me off, "No. I have not told anyone or even my own parents. I have to get this off my chest". I nodded and pulled her skin on fur close.

She took comfort in this and began again, "Well when I was almost at the end I felt a paw grab my mouth. I was pulled in and smelt alcohol and cigarettes. I was scared and froze up. I heard a disgusting voice and breathe go into my ear. If I remember correctly he said 'What is a fine piece of tail doing out here alone'". She was now crying softly snd I pulled her face into my chest. "He-he tr-tried to ra-rape me. I was so s ... sc-scared", she chocked out. I felt extreme anger beyond what I felt before. I felt the urge to kill somebody and I put my hand on the gun on my hip.

She saw this and stopped me. "It's okay, he is now in prison". I sighed relieved and removed the hand from my gun. I still wanted to find this dude and fucking gut him. She then continued now calmed down, "He never succeeded". I just gave her a confused look and she answered my non-verbal question, "That tiger you met Benny saved me. He saw this on his way home and he beat the black leopard until he was almost dead. After that, I always would visit and saw him as an uncle. The whole fiasco just brought back really bad memories and I felt powerless in the situation".

I nodded now much relieved and made a mental note to take that tiger out for a drink. I should've paid double for my stuff. My stuff ... SHIT!

I quickly looked to Winter and announced my thoughts, "I forgot the stuff". I just groaned and Winter face-pawed before grabbing her phone. She stated kind of annoyed, "If I remember correctly then we left it at the restaurant". She quickly searched something up and plugged in a number in her phone.

I watched her hold the phone up to her ear and stand absentmindedly a few moments. She then replied to a voice I could not hear, "Yeah, I am calling to ask if you found a few bags of stuff there". I heard a muffled reply and Winter's face getting brighter. An indicator it was there and okay. "Ok, that's fine. Thank you", she then replied after yet another muffled reply.

She hung-up and turned to me, "Welp. We are lucky you left the stuff at the restaurant and you can pick it up tomorrow at 8 a.m.". I nodded and she began to quickly began to gather her stuff. She finished gathering her stuff and approached my door before turning around to face me. She rubbed the back of her head bashfully and thanked me, "Today was fun. I thank you sincerely for listening to me and saving me today, despite your injuries". I nodded as she slowly approached me and gave me a hug which I returned. She then pulled away and gave a small wave before disappearing out the door.

I sighed dreamily in a stupid fashion and watched the doorway which she just stood. I patted myself on the back mentally and with a happy sigh made my way to my room. I just threw myself on the bed in a very lazy fashion with my limbs going limp. I started to relax into the sweet embrace of sleep and slowly drifted off.

Two Weeks Later, Apartment

"Are you done making your character yet Carrots", Nick stated annoyed and focused. It was me, Nick, and Judy just chilling at my apartment. Nick walked around the corner with his AK-47 slowly leaning around to check. I laughed as I aimed down my sights and popped him in the head. His coyote character dropped to the ground with his gun. This was the twenty-fourth time I killed him without him killing me once in return. "FUCK!', he shouted angrily and growled. Judy scowled at him, "Language slick".

He grumbled and tried his best to kill me again. This time he stepped on a claymore and blew into several pieces. I laughed at his face of anger and at Judy's face of disgust. Nick just turned towards me and whimpered, "How?!". I sarcastically put my hand up and showed off my thumb. "It's because I have opposable thumbs, my orange friend". He crossed his arms childishly and said, "Come on! That is not fair!". I just shrugged and set down my controller proceeding to take a swig of water.

I looked at Judy who was too focused on her character creation and asked, "When can I return to the Job Cotton". She glanced at me and answered, "In two more weeks". I just facepalmed and groaned annoyed. Two more weeks of nothing.

Nick set down the controller and layed back on the couch while crossing his arms behind his head, getting ready to wind down. He looked at me and said, "Thanks for letting me and carrots stay over for the night. I might squat for a year or two. You have everything here". I just nodded and shuddered at the prospect of him being a roommate.

Another Two Weeks Later, Apartment

"THAT'S BULLSHIT", Finnick bellowed while slamming his beer on my table. Yet again, I had the duo over and their friend Finnick who were watching the game. Nick cut in and agreed, "Yeah it is! They should call a flag on that one. That is unsportsmanlike behavior!". We were watching Football and the Rainforest Rays picked a fight with number 24 on the Tundra Tigers. There then was a commercial break and everyone looked piss and bickered amongst themselves. Tomorrow was officially the day I am sworn in as a police officer and meet my new partner. About an hour later the Rainforest Rays won and let's just say ... no one was happy. I really didn't care but attempted to show displeasure to please them. The little party died down and eventually, everyone left. Finnick on the other hand raided my fridge and left with some food. The little prick.

I collapsed in my bed and picked up my phone to see how Winter was doing. Me and Winter have been getting really close and I have yet to ask her out. I mean, that is kind of stupid though. We went out a few more times as friends and have had dinner so it wouldn't be anything new. I decided to text her and ask how is she doing. I waited a minute or two and she responded.

Fine. Just pissed the Tundra Tiger's lost. The referee must be stupid or something.

I just agreed and snorted. Winter didn't say stuff like 'stupid' and 'pissed' a lot, she had a very clean mouth surprisingly.

I texted her a quick goodnight afterward and she gave me one too. I then plugged up my phone and clicked on the tv in my room. I settled on some sitcom for background noise and threw the blanket over my head. I was pretty anxious for tomorrow and happy to get off my ass and do some real work.

Hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Feedback always appreciated!