While going through earlier chapters to try to catch some mistakes, I seen that I had wrote that Boggis, Bunce, and Bean hasn't gone to the police and instead relied on their 'security' to do that for them. I changed it before posting the last chapter but I didn't make any note of it so if any of you thought it was a continuity error, my bad.

Planning A Surprise

It was pretty easy to find Duke, or Stan, whatever he preferred but getting him to talk was a different matter altogether. She didn't want to go to Mr. Big again because one: she felt incredibly guilty about having Mr. Big threaten to kill Duke, she was a cop for carrots sake. And two: she wanted to limit how much she interacted with the mob boss. She loved FruFru like a sister, but repeatedly going to The Big House might raise more than a few eyebrows.

Duke/Stan was angry that she showed up, but the moment she said the names Boggis, Bunce, and Bean he became afraid.

"Listen, if you would just help us we could help you and hopefully help others."

"You can stir up that hornet nest by yourself, I want nothing to do with whatever you got cooking up. It's a good way to die a painful and slow death."

"No way?"

"No way."

"Stan Wessel you are under arrest for Felony Theft against Boggis Chicken Farms, Bunce Inc., and Bean Orchards."

"H-hey now, wait a m-moment."

"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law."

"Flopsie, you can do that."

"Yes I can, there's a warrant for your arrest.You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you."

"Dammit." Stan turned to run but didn't take two steps before a sharp prick stings his rump.

"You didn't think that you could run, did you?" And with that his vision darkens

...

Nick, Clive, and Jenny exits the restaurant with the latter more than a little tipsy. Clive had his paw on her waist, guiding her as they walked.

"Iiiii missed you sssshhhooooo mush Nickelodeon. Remember when I youshed to call you that? You used *hic* you used to watch Pigalodeon all the time when you were a kit and we babysat you. Your favorite show was... what was it?"

"You never babysat me."

"Oh rriiigght. Why did I think that?"

"You just started making things up."

Clive used his free paw to dig in his pocket and brought out a set of keys "I think we should be on our way home now. Thank you for meeting up with us on such short notice."

"I had fun, it's been awhile since we ate together. Maybe next time I can get Mom to come along, God knows that she missed teasing Jenny while she's like this."

"Which is way to often. I mean it's only two thirty right now and she's already drunk."

"I'm NOT drunk. And even if I am, it's a special occasion."

They part ways and Nick pondered on what to do next. He had several things to do.

One: he needed to get his shit together and find out if he was eligible for the ZPA. Two: he needed to plan something special for his Mate. Despite what he said, what he had planned for Judy wouldn't be as nice outside of the hospital and he wanted to do something special for her. Three: he needed to stock up on vegan food for Judy. If she was going to stay at his condo every once in awhile then she's going to need food for her to consider staying more often without having to either buy takeout or skip a meal, the last bit of food that she could eat was finished this morning.

He can plan what to surprise Judy with as he knocks off the other two. The grocery store is closer than the precinct, so food first.

Browsing the prey aisles, he picked up some carrots (naturally it was the first thing he grabbed), celery, timothy hay, lettuce, lentils, among other things. While he meandered around the store his figured out what he wanted to do to surprise Judy.

The first time he opened up to Judy was on the gondola after surviving Manchas, and while it would be nice to go there again it didn't speak to him, but he felt that he was on the right track. He remembers the wonder on Judy's face as she watched the sunrise reflect off of the skyscrapers of Zootopia and he wanted to see that wonder again. Rainforest district was the only district that had gondolas, and that one was the only one not obscured by the massive trees.

But you know what didn't have an obstructed view? Hot Air Balloons.

Yeah that was a great idea, he can get a balloon tour of the city around sunset when the light reflects off the buildings and when they get back home there can be a candlelit dinner waiting for them. It will take some planning to time it so that the food will be freshly done and still hot when they get there but he knew a guy he could trust going in his den while he wasn't there and he was a great cook too. He picked up some candles and decided to upgrade his tableware to decorated porcelain dinnerware, new glass drinkware, and silver serve and flatware, along with a white tablecloth. He needs to get roses and wine still, but he'll get them elsewhere.

It felt like he was forgetting something.

After buying what he needed here, he went home to put away the food and hide the other things until it was time, maybe this weekend.

It was three now and Judy didn't get off of work until six. She goes in at six and leaves at five, long hours but she only works four days a week. Two hours is plenty of to cook dinner, and he's sure that she'll appreciate having dinner ready after a long day. Looking online for a recipe for both of them, he settled on a spinach artichoke penne pasta. It's a simple recipe and it's a quick one, however he doesn't have time to clean the kitchen when he's done but that's fine.

It's time to pick up his Mate.

...

After Judy tranq'ed Stan/Duke, she had brought him back to the precinct to be booked. If the things that Nick said about the three billionaires were true, and considering Duke's words and refusal to go anywhere near anything that has to do with those individuals, she was inclined to believe them. After placing him in a holding cell, Bogo instructed her to go back to her normal duties. He said that he had a the beginnings of a plan but that he needed time and information before they can get started.

She didn't know about time, but what she can get is information.

Her first source of knowledge is her Mate. But wether or not he is willing to open up old wounds is another story altogether. But based on what he told her already, another source of knowledge may come in the form of a small shrew.

Should she ask Big for information? She just resolved to limit how much she interacted with him, and now he may be a great source of information. Maybe later, right now she can gather as much as she can before she turned to the shrew.

For the rest of her shift she had been assigned to records, and it peeved her something fierce. At least with parking duty she was able to move around and expend her energy. But there was something that she could do while she was in records.

When Bogo had listed off the warrants for the mammals who were involved in the robbery, there wasn't a warrant for someone named Wilde. Looking through the report she found the warrants linked to the case. Skipping the ones she knows, Judy reads though the warrants.

Owen Cunningham Skip is an albino Eurasian Otter, he has several speeding violations and had been apart of many brawls at different sports events. Kylie Sven Wolodarsky is a Virginia Opossum, no priors. George Fox is a Red Fox and he had an astonishing record of burglary, grand theft auto, felony theft, aggravated assault, and fraud. Opening George's mugshot, she was greeted by what at first glance looked like Nick. A second glance showed the differences in appearance, such as a crisp white undercoat compared to Nick's more cream colored undercoat. But there was no doubt that those two were related. According to his file, George has no next of kin. Parents are deceased, no spouse or significant other, and no offspring. She glanced at the clock, five fifty nine. Judy closed the computer and went to clock out.

Going to the lobby, she was surprised to see Nick conversing with Ben.

"-expect a reply?"

"You should receive a letter in the mail in two to three weeks."

"What are you doing here Nick?"

"I'm here to pick you up. That and turn in my application."

As soon as 'application' left his mouth, Judy launched herself at Nick and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"That's great! I could start tutoring you and we can start a workout routine for you and we also-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa.. hold up, one thing at a time."

"Academy starts in three months, there's no time to take it slow."

"Actually Judy, with the amount of time it takes it takes for a response to be sent, he'll most likely be in the semester after the next. Which is nine months away." Ben could just die as he watched Judy's excitement shatter in front of him.

"O-oh... it might take a bit longer, but that just gives you more time to prep before hand."

"Not everything can go our way, fluff."

"What has gone our way?"

"You became my Mate."

Ben let out a small "Aww."

"You hungry?"

"A little."

"Well then, lets go. I made us dinner."

"Wow breakfast and dinner, you are on a role today."

"You can never say that I'm lazy."

"Yes I can, that hasn't changed."

"I guess that you don't want food then? Bummer, I just went to the yowl-mart to get some groceries just for you. But I'm sure that standing over a stove after a long day at work is something that you want to do."

"Let's not be hasty now."

"I guess I'll just have to eat it all by myself."

Nick turned and walked away.

"Nick? Wait up! I won't call you lazy!"

...

"That decides it, your the cook now."

"Don't I get a say in it?"

"Of course you do. You get to choose what to make."

The banter slows into silence. Both Mates content with each others quiet company. Both relaxed in the couch watching T.V., Judy nestled her head into his chest while Nick lightly scratches her scalp. Her thoughts drift to the conundrum she was confronted with earlier.

Judy sits up, pulling away from his hold, and looks him in the eye "Nick, what can you tell me about Walter Boggis, Nathan Bunce, and Franklin Bean?"

The Fox tenses "Why are you bringing them up for?"

"Kris and Agnes have gone missing. And when I heard that, I thought about what you told me and I think that they are as good a lead as any. I talked to Bogo about it and-"

"You told Bogo?!"

"There was already a warrant on Kris, and you or your mother weren't involved so you don't have to worry about being charged with anything."

"I told you that in confidence and you go and tell the Chief of Police? I have gone though so much hell to keep myself and my mom out of anyone's radars and you just ruined all my efforts!"

"We will take them down and you won't have to worry about them anymore."

"Wow! I didn't know that it'll be that easy, I guess that all the mammals they've killed just didn't try hard enough to get away. Plus, it's not like they've been evading Police awareness for decades or anything."

"Why are you being so difficult right now?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe it has something to do with you putting a giant target on our backs!"

"Well I'm sorry but I have no choice but to do my best to find Kris and Agnes before something bad happens."

"What makes you so sure that they're still alive?"

"If they aren't, then that's an even bigger reason to bring them to justice."

"So you tell just tell your boss: 'My Mates family robbed some mammals a couple decades ago so they might have kitnapped his cousin?"

"I didn't say that you family did, I told him that some associates of your family and Kris' did. Although I don't think that tampering with government records will go well in the long run. I mean all it took was for me to look at his mugshot and I could tell you that you look just like him."

"I don't want to hear anything about him."

"Well I'm sorry to say but when you come in for questioning, you'll have to go in depth about the events that day."

"Wait wait wait. Questioning?"

"Well, yeah. You are one of the only mammals that we know of who can give us some insight on these mammals."

"And what if I refuse?"

End Notes

Please review, I crave feedback and your opinions so I can assess whether I'm doing this right or not. Tell me what you think I'm doing wrong so I can correct it and tell me what I'm doing right so I can try to replicate it.